NAPCOR appoints new technical director

The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) has appointed Srinivasan “Shankar” Prabhushankar as its new technical director.

Shankar, who began his new role Feb. 3, recently retired from Indorama Ventures after 22 years with the company. NAPCOR, based in Middleton, Wisconsin, says he brings a wealth of experience in the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic industry, spanning research and development, manufacturing, project management and PET recycling.

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“We’re thrilled to have Shankar join us in the technical director capacity,” NAPCOR Executive Director Laura Stewart says. “Shankar will lead NAPCOR’s PET Thermoform Committee and manage our technical platform, which identifies and prioritizes key technical initiatives for NAPCOR. He will also play a vital role in monitoring and tracking emerging issues affecting our industry, ensuring we remain proactive and informed.”

Shankar’s career began with Future Polyester, where he spent nine years gaining experience in R&D, manufacturing and projects related to polyester fiber, yarn and PET resin. He then spent five years with the Texmaco Group in Indonesia, overseeing the construction of four polyester plants. Following a year with Reliance Industries in India, Shankar relocated to the United States in 1999 to join TiePet in North Carolina.

At TiePet, Shankar played a key role in converting the plant from fiber-grade to packaging-grade PET and streamlining manufacturing processes. He rose to the position of plant manager in 2005, having previously served as technical manager. During his time, TiePet was acquired by Indorama Ventures and renamed StarPet Inc.

In 2011, Shankar became head of PET operations in North America for Indorama after the company acquired Invista’s PET assets in the U.S. and Mexico. He relocated to Alabama in 2016 to lead Indorama’s PTA, PX and NDC business following their acquisition of those assets from BP. In 2020, he was appointed CEO of Indorama’s global PET recycling business, successfully expanding the company’s mechanical PET recycling capacity four-fold by 2025.

Shankar first became a NAPCOR member in 2008, representing Indorama, and subsequently joined the board of directors and served as treasurer until 2023.

“Shankar’s long relationship and history with NAPCOR will be vital to the organization’s growth and stewardship,” says Tom Busard, NAPCOR chairman, chief polymers and recycling officer for Plastipak Packaging Inc. and president of Clean Tech, Plastipak’s recycling affiliate. “His deep technical and business knowledge and understanding of the internal and external challenges NAPCOR faces makes Shankar uniquely suited to steer the organization’s technical efforts.”

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Shankar earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Madras University in 1984 and an executive MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in 2014.