Jay L. Gardiner
Gardiner Plastics Inc
Inducted 2012
Jay L. Gardiner (1951 – 2021) was a tireless volunteer for plastics causes, having been active in service to the industry for several more decades. He also founded Gardiner Plastics Inc., a resin brokerage company in Port Jefferson, NY, in 1992.
A longtime Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), Gardiner was chairman of the Society of Plastics Engineers Annual Technical Conference (ANTEC) in 1989. He served as president of the Society in 1996. He also served as an SPE’s Executive Committee member and was the principal author of SPE’s 2000 Strategic Action Plan.
Gardiner was a longtime member of the board of directors and executive committee of the National Plastics Center in Leominster, Massachusetts. Gardiner served as president of the Plastics Academy from 1998 until his passing. He was also a member of the Plastics Pioneers Association. He worked on strategic planning projects for the Society of the Plastics Industry (now PLASTICS).
As a volunteer and educator, Jay Gardiner had a lifelong passion for emergency medical services. He served with The Setauket Fire Department for over 30 years and in numerous positions, including EMS Director and Lieutenant. In his last five years, he served as a member of the Board of Fire Commissioners and chaired that board for the last three years. He taught at Suffolk County Community College and attained the rank of associate professor.
Areas of Expertise: Plastic management