October 21 – Team NEO Event

Jay Foran
Senior Vice President

Jay helps businesses discover exciting growth opportunities in the Cleveland Plus region. He works with site selectors and corporate clients and helps them navigate through the regional economic development framework, partnering with local and state economic development groups.

Prior to joining Team NEO, Jay was Vice President, Business Development for The Lake West Group LLC, a management
consulting firm. Jay also served in a variety of key leadership positions with Procter & Gamble during a lengthy and distinguished career where he was responsible for a variety of business building initiatives that have been emulated  throughout the consumer products industry. Jay was named as one of America’s Top 50 Economic Developers by Consultant Connect in 2015 and he is an Executive Committee member of the Ohio Aerospace & Aviation Council.

Additionally, Jay has  an impressive record of leadership in enabling successful civic advocacy organizations, private and public campaigns, and assessments to support community sustainability. He currently sits on the Board of Trustees for Lakewood Hospital Foundation, and is a Lakewood Alive Founder, Officer and Board Member.

Paul Boulier
Vice President for Industry and Innovation

Paul serves as the Vice President for Industry and Innovation at Team NEO. He is responsible for developing and executing direct-to-company business growth and attraction for Team NEO in the region’s core industries; including Energy, Oil & Gas, Metal Fabrication and Machinery; Polymers, Chemicals and Coatings, as well as Packaging and Transportation. Team NEO is a privately-funded regional business attraction and growth organization. It is a nonprofit that markets Northeast Ohio to the world, attracts new businesses and helps those that are here grow. Team NEO is the Northeast Ohio regional partner for JobsOhio, a private, nonprofit corporation that drives economic development and job creation for the State, as well as working closely with economic development organizations across 18 counties.

Paul is also the CEO, for the past 10 years, of Advantage Growth Solutions LLC, a management consultancy focused on helping manufacturers growth-both organically and acquisitively. He provides commercial- and technically-focused insights to Fortune 1000 companies.

He also is the founder/CEO of Seauciel LLC, a startup driving to commercialize advanced technologies to create value-added materials from comingled plastics waste.

He has extensive experience in building and growing businesses from startups to multi-$B corporations. He has been a solution provider to the plastics industry for over 40 years, working with OEMs, Fabricators and Converters, and raw material providers to drive results and innovation in the Packaging, Electrical & Electronics, Transportation, Industrial, and Medical markets. He has successfully led efforts in seven major acquisitions; creating strategy, scouting opportunities, executing deals, and creating teams for efficient integration.

Paul’s previous experience includes senior executive roles in General Management, Marketing, Sales, Research & Development, Operations, and Organizational Design & Development, including: Chief Marketing Officer of A. Schulman (now LyondellBasell), a global thermoplastics compounder serving the packaging, transportation, consumer products, industrial and agricultural markets; Vice President of Marketing & Sales at Core Molding Technologies, a designer/molder of reinforced composite products for the transportation, electronics, industrial, automotive aftermarket and alternative energy markets. He has also held Executive Business Leadership roles at Avery Dennison, a manufacturer of high­performance adhesives and consumer products, and NOVA Chemicals, a global manufacturer of Styrenics polymers, polyethylene and petrochemicals.

Paul earned a MS in Plastics Engineering from UMASS Lowell and a BS in Chemistry from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). He has been awarded three patents, with one pending. He also completed advanced studies in Global Marketing and Business Strategy at University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School. Paul actively volunteers and mentors entrepreneurs in business strategy/planning as well as contributing to venture groups through the Akron (OH) ARCHAngels, WPI Business School (MA), and Fusion Pointe, a Naples (FL) West Coast Venture Group.

November 3-4

AMI’s Compounding World Expo
Huntington Convention Center, Downtown Cleveland

Come join SPE exhibiting at AMI’s Compounding World Expo, located in downtown Cleveland at the
Huntington Convention Center.  This expo takes place November 3- 4, 2021 alongside 3 other co-located
expos: Plastics Extrusion World Expo, Plastics Recycling World Expo and Polymer Testing World as well
as five conference theaters. Altogether, visitors will have access to 200+ exhibitors and 100+ speakers.
Registration to the entire show is free! Register here:  
https://registration.gesevent.com/survey/1w1duxyy0hsn6?actioncode=US1038

The Cleveland SPE Board would like to welcome John White to our Board of Directors. John is currently the Technical Manager for Philpott Rubber Company in Aurora, OH and has been in the plastics/rubber industry since 1997 when he joined Cobra Plastics in Macedonia, OH.

Prior to that he ran his own business, Precise Design from 1990-1997. John is a graduate of the University of Akron in Mechanical Engineering. Please welcome John to our Cleveland Section and our Board of Directors.

The SPE Executive Board and Council met on October 1st.  The meeting was Chaired by President Jason Lyons

The meeting opened with a moment of silence to recognize the passing of Irvin Poston a Distinguished Member of SPE.

Financial Report:  While Revenues have continued to drop from reduced “In-person” conferences and declining membership, the Executive Board has significantly reduced operating expenses to maintain a positive cash flow for 2019 and 2020.  Revenues are expected to decline again in 2021 but EB will continue to reduce operating expenses to maintain positive cash flow expected for this year.

EB was successful in opting out of our Headquarters Building lease in Danbury, CT significantly reducing operating expenses by $150,000 per year.

Membership: EB expects some continued drop in membership attributed to COVID-19 restrictions and a “Retirement Wave” from the Baby Boomer generation.

Going Forward:  Overall Goal is to focus on Industry Wide Trends rooted in Knowledge & Networking.  EB expects a gradual return to “In-Person” events.  And EB will focus on “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” knowledge related to the Plastics Industry as highlighted in September’s Plastic Engineering Magazine.  EB will also promote “Development Opportunities” in Technical and Soft Skills for the membership.

EB will also focus on “Awards, Celebrations & Trends” to acknowledge the contributions of our members to our Society and the overall Plastics Industry.

ANTEC will be held in June 2022 in Charlotte, NC and will be a “hybrid” event – both on-line and in person. 

Next Council Meeting will be Nov. 8th