Hans H. Wanders (1893-1976) was an early plastics pioneer who designed and built numerous machines using innovative techniques and processes that advanced the rapidly evolving plastics industry. Born and educated in Krefeld, Germany, Wanders immigrated to the United States and became a naturalized citizen in 1921. He listed his occupation as Mechanical Engineer.
In 1922, he founded the Rawson Moulding Company in Waltham, Massachusetts. The company designed and produced some of the earliest domestic plastic lighting fixtures, which were sold for decades by the Graybar Electric Company.
Wanders was an inventor who held a dozen patents, including what is believed to be the first semi-automatic rotary molding press. His machine had six stations and was specifically designed for producing wall switch plates.
In 1927, Rawson Moulding was acquired by the Northern Industrial Chemical Company or NIC, where Wanders served as Vice President and General Manager. He was instrumental in the success of the company and held the position for 35 years until 1962. NIC molded a wide range of products, including automobile parts, dinnerware, instrument housings, and housings for communication devices. The company also manufactured critical military components during both World War I and World War II.
Wanders was deeply involved in promoting the plastics industry. He was a charter member of the Society of Plastics Industry, now known as the Plastics Industry Association. In 1945, he was a founding member of the Boston-Providence chapter of the SPI, serving as its chairman. Hans was a charter member and founding officer of the Plastic Pioneers Association in 1949, serving as the founding Secretary for 17 years and Treasurer for 12 years. In 1961, Hans was awarded the Plastic Pioneers’ “Much-Traveled Shirt”, a tradition that started as a gag in 1954 with a garish Hawaiian shirt that gets passed to a ‘deserving’ member at each annual meeting. It is now considered one of PPA’s most prestigious awards as an acknowledgement of the member who most typifies the spirit of the organization.