Dan Hertz has won the trifecta, three important awards marking his success in the rubber industry. Here is your chance to nominate someone for at least one of them.
Hertz received the Raymond Hopp Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence on Oct. 2, becoming the first person selected for the honor given to a New Jersey business leader. That follows his winning of the Melvin Mooney Award from the ACS Rubber Division, presented to a person who makes significant contributions to rubber technology, and the Rubber Industry Executive of the Year Award.
It's that last one, from Rubber & Plastics News, for which you can offer a candidate. But first a few more words on Dan Hertz.
He's always been one of the most interesting people I've known while covering the rubber industry. President and owner of Seals Eastern—a successful maker of O-rings, gaskets and seals—Hertz is a business leader, a scientist and longtime participant and supporter of the Rubber Division.
I'd describe him as smart, tough and, one of my favorite traits, outspoken. I recall him showing his technical expertise and communication skills during the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster when he became a go-to source for the media.
He has demonstrated his business acumen, too, to the point that he received the Hopp Award at the “made in New Jersey” Manufacturing Day event in his home state.
And now you, too, can see that a deserving participant within the rubber industry can be duly honored, as Rubber Industry Executive of the Year.
The award goes to an executive in the North American rubber product industry who has been instrumental in the success of his or her company, or helped to further the industry. The one caveat is that the executive must be from a manufacturer of finished rubber goods. Suppliers to the industry aren't eligible (but are welcome to make nominations).
It's easy to nominate someone—just email RPN Managing Editor Don Detore ([email protected]) the candidate's name, where he or she works, job title and why you believe the person deserves the honor. You also can send it to Don via mail at 1725 Merriman Road, Suite 300, Akron OH 44313.
Send as much documentation as you like, although that's not required. The editorial staff of RPN makes the final decision.
I've always liked that the winners have been a diverse group. Rather than just give it to a titan of the tire industry—and several have won the award since it was created in 1989—successful candidates also have come from small, medium and large non-tire rubber product businesses.
Know a deserving person? Submit his or her name by Nov. 6. The winner will be announced in the Dec. 14 issue.
Noga is a contributing editor of RPN and its former editor. He can be reached at [email protected]