Colleagues: Clarity of purpose drives Executive of the Year Sharp

RAVENNA, Ohio—Humanity, humility and the willingness to "fail fast" represent just a few of the many qualities that colleagues, customers and co-workers appreciate about Erick Sharp, the 2024 Rubber News Executive of the Year.

Sharp is president and CEO of Ace Laboratories, a rubber and silicone testing and consulting company he started as a "one-man band" at his home in Uniontown, Ohio, more than a decade ago.

The analytical, physical, dynamic and material testing firm in Northeast Ohio has grown to 21 people today.

"Erick has brought together an amazing team that is focused on providing our customers with excellent service," said Kylie Knipp, senior technical account manager for Ace Laboratories.

Knipp has known Sharp for more than a decade.

"As we've continued to grow, Erick has helped cultivate a culture where the mindset is 'don't be afraid to fail fast,' which promotes innovation that will help propel us to the next level of growth," she said. "He's managed to recruit a team that is willing and able to embrace change and new technologies that allow our team and our systems to run as efficiently as possible."

Indeed, Sharp's vision, drive and passion for the rubber industry are at the center of Ace's strengths, according to Will Mars, president and CEO of Endurica L.L.C., a Findlay, Ohio-based durability and fatigue-testing firm.

"I see him leading not only with his own people, but also in the wider ecosystem with his development of win-win partnerships with testing instrument providers—and in the professional community as a teacher and an organizer," Mars told Rubber News.

Doug Hartley owned Ravenna-based Portage Precision Polymers, where Sharp worked between 2011 and 2014, before PPP's 2014 sale to Hexpol Compounding Americas—and Sharp's turn toward entrepreneurship.

Hartley, along with two other partners, continues as an investor in Ace Laboratories today.

"I consider him a son," Hartley said of Sharp. "He has done a wonderful job at Ace."

Sharp, now 41, is above the curve with his business acumen, Hartley said.

"For his age, Erick is way above many others," Hartley said. "His technical knowledge is very good ... Erick is right on the money there. (Sharp's technical knowledge) was very good then when he worked for me, and it is even more so now."

Anthony Mariniello is chair of the ACS Rubber Division and North American business manager for Nordmann US Inc.

He first crossed paths with Sharp as the young entrepreneur was getting involved with the Rubber Division.

"Erick continues to grow himself in every way possible ... sometimes in ways you don't even know he is going to be growing in," Mariniello told Rubber News. "Sometimes I wonder if he has time to sleep. He is interconnected with industries and can maintain his knowledge and the pulse of each sector."

Mariniello said Sharp has worked hard to position himself and his company "to best service the rubber industry and the industries he is expanding into."

"For me, one area that stands out from when he first came on the scene is his ideology," he said. "His intent is to make best practices available to the entire industry. He knows how to make decisions and how to present those decisions.

"And he has been a great person to interact with as a sounding board. He helps to create clarity."

Under Sharp, Ace has grown steadily at about 30 percent per year in net sales.

Hartley noted that the ups and downs of the industry—from the COVID pandemic to other financial pivot points throughout Ace's relatively short and remarkably successful tenure—have not shaken the industrial engineer from Cambridge, Ohio.

"He really has taken things in stride," Hartley said of Sharp. "As an investor (in Ace), we work with him very closely. He has done a great job. Employees respect him. Customers respect him. Suppliers respect him. And the people we purchase equipment from feel the same."

Knipp, who worked with Sharp pre-Ace at PPP, said Sharp "truly values mental health and having a healthy work-life balance."

"While that can be a very difficult thing for entrepreneurs and CEOs to manage at times, Erick does a great job at making sure that the Ace culture reflects his values and that employees don't feel bad about taking vacations or personal time or prioritizing family when something unexpected pops up," she said.

And Doug Foster, who has been with Ace since its nascence as director of technical services, said in his nomination that Sharp "embodies the qualities that make a truly exceptional leader: vision, ambition, incredible work ethic and a genuine desire to improve lives both within and outside the rubber industry."

"His vast technical knowledge is matched by his ability to communicate clearly, with humor, humility and warmth, making him approachable to everyone—from his team to his customers and industry peers," Foster told Rubber News. "His leadership style is hands-on, creating a workplace where employees feel happy, fulfilled and motivated, which translates to happy, long-standing customers and ongoing innovation.

"By helping his customers succeed, Erick not only strengthens their businesses but also contributes to the advancement and sustainability of the entire industry."