Nonwovens Industry Professionals Honoured

A holder of numerous nonwovens and related patents, he was involved with spunlace development with Chicopee for more than 15 years and then transitioned into R&D at PGI when the company purchased Chicopee in 1995. His lead in process development/R&D at PGI was essential in several commercially successful substrates, including Fabric 450, which was Johnson & Johnson's first nonwoven operating room gown and drape product; commercialization of J&J's APEX technology for NuGauze; and Swiffer, a joint development with P&G and PGI to produce an imaged scrim reinforced dry dusting nonwoven substrate.

Putnam has been an INDA member for more than 20 years while with J&J/PGI and has been an active member of its INTC and TAB committees as well as an active member in the NCRC Industry Technical advisor program to the school's graduate students

Collins is currently president of RKW US, Inc., headquartered in Rome, Georgia, a wholly owned subsidiary of RKW SE that services the hygiene, medical, construction and agricultural markets using film and nonwoven technology. The company has annual revenue of $1 billion.

Collins holds a Bachelor of Textile Engineering from Auburn University. He is the company's current corporate representative to INDA and is a member of the association's Board of Directors, in addition to being active in its Technical Advisory Board and RISE conference planning committee.