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Tom Russell. Source | SPE 

Tom Russell, a founder and retired partner at Allied Composites Technology LLC (Rochester Hills, Mich., U.S.), has been named the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award winner by the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). His leadership has led to multiple SPE Innovation Awards Gala (IAG) Grand and Hall of Fame Award-winning applications. Russell has also achieved numerous promotions throughout his career as he ascended to senior management positions and fostered innovation in automotive plastics.

First given in 2001, the SPE Automotive Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the technical achievements of individuals whose work in research, design and/or engineering has led to significant integration of polymeric materials on passenger vehicles.

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“Tom is one of the nicest and most humble guys in this industry and in the world,” says Frederick Deans, P.E. owner of Allied Composites Technology and SPE Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in 2015.  “He has achieved monumental success in developing automotive applications with plastics and is continuing to advance the industry as a trusted advisor to our company today.”

Russell, prior to Allied Composites, was vice president of product and advanced engineering at Lear Corp., and previously worked at General Electric Plastics and Ford Motor Co. He has pioneered important advancements including the development of the Ford medium-duty truck SMC grille opening/reinforcement panel, which won the Grand Award at the 1979 SPE Automotive IAG. At GE Plastics, he was a key member of the team that developed the materials for the five mph all-plastic front and rear bumper systems for the Ford Escort in 1984, which led to its implementation on the Ford Aerostar, Taurus/Sable and Contour/Mystique vehicles.  This innovation represented the largest global use of automotive thermoplastics and won the IAG Hall of Fame Award in 2004.  Russell was also on the team that developed the MPPE/PA all=thermoplastic fender on the 1988 Buick LeSabre sports coupe. which won the 1988 SPE IAG Grand Award and the Hall- of Fame Award in 2015.

Russell’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State University, a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Until his retirement, he was a licensed professional engineer in the state of Michigan. 

“Thank you to the teams who worked with me over the years to improve automotive vehicles with innovative parts and components with plastic technologies and resulting in my receiving this SPE Automotive Division Lifetime Achievement award,” says Russell. “I also greatly appreciate the support from the companies I worked for, my friends in SPE and beyond, and especially my family for their support over the years.”

His volunteering activities include being and active member of SPE and SAE, serving as a judge of the SPE Innovation Awards on the Blue Ribbon Judging committee, a member of the technology planning group at his local church and as a volunteer math tutor for the Pontiac school system.

Russell will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement award at the 53rd annual SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Gala at Burton Manor in Livonia, Michigan on Nov. 13, 2024. The evening begins with a VIP Cocktail Reception at 4:00 p.m. sponsored by Celanese Corp. At 4:30 p.m. the main exhibit area opens for general admission, and guests can review this year’s Automotive Innovation Awards nominations and enjoy the vehicles on display. Dinner will begin at 6:15 p.m. and the awards program will last from 7:00-9:00 p.m. For those who wish to extend merrymaking and networking activities, the ever-popular Afterglow runs from 9:00-11:00 p.m.

Read about last year’s winner, “SPE announces 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award winner.”