Plastics News Names SPI Marketing Manager a 2020 Rising Star

This Article originally appeared in the April 13th, 2020 issue of Plastics News.

Asaclean-Sun Plastech Inc.'s Marketing Manager Tom Hanvey graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Arts in communications, marketing and journalism. He held internships at Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission at the Civil War Institute in Gettysburg, Pa., Morgan Stanley and NPR affiliate 90.7 WFUV radio station. Hanvey worked at Steiner Sports as a web and marketing coordinator and the e-commerce and multimedia marketing manager. He then joined Parsippany, N.J.-based SPI, which manufactures and distributes Asaclean purging compounds for North and South America and was named No. 1 on Plastics News’ Best Places to Work list for 2020. 

As Marketing Manager at Sun Plastech Inc., Hanvey is responsible for everything from traditional and digital marketing to trade shows, brand awareness, campaigns, creative sales tools and more. “I was interested in the opportunity because it gave me great freedom to try new things and really own my department. I previously worked in sports and managed an e-commerce site for a sports memorabilia company outside of NYC....I immediately fell in love with the industry and my company,” he said. Hanvey was a founding member of the Asahi Kasei North American Marketing Council and was asked to co-host the group’s meetings, implemented an inbound marketing strategy companywide for SPI and fi­nished in the top 10 in leads at NPE 2018.

Plastics News: What emerging technology or market most interests you?

Hanvey: In marketing specifically, I'm very interested in the role AI can play in better serving customers. I'm interested in account-based marketing and how it can help me better reach end users. I'm interested in 3D printing and how it will transform our industry. Additionally, I'm looking to see how recycling changes in the next 4-5 years.

Q: What is the best advice you have ever received?

Hanvey: When you become a manager, don't forget to manage up. Oftentimes, people who are very good at their jobs get promoted to management roles. They think about what it means to be a "good manager" and how to get the most out of their direct reports and make them happy. New managers sometimes forget that they need to keep their bosses happy as well. Just because you become a manager doesn't mean you stop being an employee. A mentor at my current company gave me this advice and it helped me keep my goals in alignment with the people I report to directly as well.

Q: What about the plastics industry surprises you?

Hanvey: I'm always surprised by how small the industry is and how friendly and welcoming most people are. Coming from sports, it's amazing how warm and helpful people are. I love my career in plastics.

Q: If you were CEO of a company, what would you do first?

Hanvey: I would buy into my employees so they will buy into what we are trying to do as an organization. My company does an amazing job of making me feel supported professionally and personally. My quality of life is great and they believe in me. It makes me want to run through a wall for them. The first thing I would do is copy everything Asahi Kasei does for their employees. The culture is fantastic.

Learn about the importance of implementing proper purging procedures by downloading this free industry guide.