Several former leaders at companies that are members of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) will join the Plastics Hall of Fame class of 2025 on Oct. 7.
In all, 15 people were inducted into the hall of fame in June, with the official ceremony taking place in October during an event in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Founded in 1972, the Plastics Hall of Fame honors people whose groundbreaking contributions—from innovative materials to new technologies—have transformed the global plastics industry, according to the event organizers. It has 252 members—including five Nobel Prize winners in chemistry—and represents nine countries.
Thomas Blaige, chairman and CEO of Blaige Industry Analytics LLC, serves on the Hall of Fame’s nomination committee, and his company, which is an FPA member, is a sponsor of the event.
Blaige says he started attending the annual event in 2012 and has been serving on the nomination committee since 2024.
“The committee is responsible for developing and overseeing the nominating process, ensuring it is fair, transparent, and effective,” says Kuralay Maratova, a Blaige director based in Chicago. She and Blaige also serve on the Hall’s communications committee. “They actively solicit nominations, reaching out to potential candidates and encouraging participation from various sources.”
Once nominations are received, the committee manages the voting process, coordinating with members to ensure that the votes are collected, counted, and processed accurately, she adds.
“Their efforts uphold the integrity and quality of the nomination and election process within the organization,” Maratova also says. “While Tom has attended prior Plastics Hall of Fame ceremonies, this will be the first time he is participating in the ceremony itself.”
The 2025 Honorees
The honorees in the class of 2025 who work for FPA member companies are:
- William W. “Bill” Knight, who passed away in 2019, worked at Dow: He was a “trailblazing polymer scientist whose work fundamentally reshaped the global polyethylene industry, elevating The Dow Chemical Company’s position as a technological leader,” the Hall of Fame says on its website. “Over a distinguished 35-year career, Knight led innovations that ushered in two major revolutions in polyethylene product development: Ziegler-Natta catalyzed linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and metallocene-catalyzed polyolefins.”
- William S. “Bill” Stavropoulos, former president and CEO at Dow: “Dr. William Stavropoulos, affectionately known as “Bill,” dedicated nearly four decades of his career to The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), leaving an indelible mark as one of its most transformative leaders,” the Hall of Fame says. “Beginning his journey in 1967 in research at Dow’s Indianapolis facility, Bill rose through the ranks to become CEO twice, ultimately retiring in 2004. His career was defined by groundbreaking innovations, organizational transformation, and a steadfast commitment to environmental and safety excellence.”
- Peter Steinbeck, former CEO at Windmöller & Hölscher Corporation (W&H): “Under the leadership of Peter Steinbeck, the W&H team played a significant role in shaping the global flexible packaging market,” according to the Hall of Fame website. “As CEO and a longtime CSO, as well as a member of the W&H board, of a family-owned German engineering company with a 155-year history, he played a pivotal role in transforming the company into a global leader in machinery used to produce flexible packaging. His work has helped drive innovation, job creation, and sustainable growth on an international scale.”
The other members of the Plastics Hall of Fame Class of 2025 can be found at plasticshof.org.
Historical Pioneers
The Hall of Fame also named two Historical Pioneers.
- Dr. Otto Röhm and Otto Haas, of Rohm & Haas Company (acquired by The Dow Chemical Company in 2009), were early PMMA (Plexiglas) pioneers who scaled a specialty chemicals enterprise globally. Röhm passed away in 1939, and Haas lived until 1960.
- Hans H. Wanders, of Rawson Moulding Co., was an early U.S. plastics molder and executive who advanced plastic lighting and industrial molding capacity. He passed away in 1976.
Thomas A. Barstow is senior editor of FlexPack VOICE®.