Charles Sears, president and founder of Dri-Air Industries, Dies
Plastics Business
SUBMITTED
Charles Sears, the president and founder of Dri-Air Industries, Inc. in East Windsor, Connecticut, passed away Aug. 5 after a battle with cancer.
Charles Sears, the president and founder of Dri-Air Industries, Inc. in East Windsor, Connecticut, passed away Aug. 5 after a battle with cancer.
Sears started Dri-Air in 1985, and it became a leading supplier of drying systems for the plastics industry. His expertise and leadership, along with his desire to create the best possible product for his customers, resulted in double-digit growth each year. He was a noted authority on the science of drying technology and applications and held several patents.
Before founding Dri-Air, Sears held senior positions within such plastics industry companies as Polymer Machinery, Automated Assemblies and Nelmor (AEC). Sears received his BSME from Northeastern University and MME from RPI and had more than 40 years of experience in the design and manufacturing of drying systems.
Dri-Air is a family-owned and -operated business with SearsÂ’ wife, Esther, managing the accounting and son Jason, who has been with the company for 27 years, managing the company operations. The company has 27 employees.
In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer to see donations in honor of Sears to support the next generation of plastics engineers through scholarship support at UMass Lowell in his name or to support the Syracuse Plastics Collection at the university library.
For more information, visit www.dri-air.com.
