William (Bill) R. Carteaux, President and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association has passed away. Prior to becoming PLASTICS president and CEO in February 2005, Bill Carteaux spent more than 20 years in the manufacturing sector. He came to PLASTICS from Demag Plastics Group, where he was president and chief executive officer. Carteaux previously served as the company’s executive vice president. Prior to joining Demag, he spent eight years with Autojectors, a manufacturer of vertical injection molding machines, as its president.
Born and raised in rural Indiana, Carteaux was instilled with a traditional blue-collar work ethic that he still possesses today. His father was an electrician at International Harvester for more than 30 years. During high school Carteaux worked the night shift as a line employee at a metal working plant, and he spent his summers during college as a material handler in a large manufacturing facility.
Carteaux had an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University and a BS from Purdue, where he received several awards. He served as the chair for the Council of Manufacturing Associations at NAM and sat on the Board of Directors. He was immediate past director general of CIPAD, the Council of International Plastics Association Directors. Carteaux and served on the Board of Directors of four additional organizations: The Plastics Academy, the National Plastics Center and Museum, the Future of Plastics Foundation and SPE’s Foundation. In 2015, Carteaux was the youngest person to ever be inducted into the Plastics Industry Hall of Fame.
“We have lost an incredible leader, colleague and friend. Our hearts are broken to learn that PLASTICS’ President & CEO Bill Carteaux passed away early this morning, December 10, due to complications from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the disease he had been fighting with determination and courage. Bill was more than just an inspiring, larger-than-life leader for our industry, Bill was a dear friend to each of us who were lucky enough to know him.”
The Plastics Industry Association will share information about plans for a memorial service as soon as it becomes available.