Tony Radoszewski, CAU, president of the Plastics Pipe Institute
The Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI), a North American trade organization representing all segments of the plastic pipe industry, strives to educate industries on plastic pipe systems. By creating awareness of plastic pipe offerings, receiving industry standards' approval and gaining acceptance, PPI advocates on behalf of its industry members.
Helping lead the way is Tony Radoszewski, CAE, PPI's president. Radoszewski has held this role since 2006. Before entering the world of trade associations, he held leadership roles in sales and marketing for both resin and pipe companies.
"I consider myself the head coach of a really talented team of professionals in the engineering field and in our support team," Radoszewski said. "My goal is to get out of their way to let them do what they do best."
PPI comprises five divisions: building and construction, corrugated plastic pipe, energy piping systems, municipal and industrial, and power and communications. The Hydrostatic Stress Board (HSB) is an organization within PPI, responsible for providing recommendations to industry on the strength of thermostatic piping materials. The HSB, which has worked under PPI since 1958, ensures products have gone through rigorous evaluations of long-term performance under stress.
One of PPI's biggest successes to date, Radoszewski said, has been demonstrating the incredible safety of using plastic pipe systems -- predominantly high-density polyethylene (HDPE) -- to industry. One of the first to recognize plastic pipes' effectiveness was the gas distribution industry in the 1960s-1970s. Steel and black iron pipe were commonly used then, but industry began to see corrosion limited its use. Having sought out an alternative, 95 percent of the industry now uses HDPE systems, a testament to the plastic's success.
Oil and gas exploration is another industry that has noticed the benefits of leak-free, durable plastic pipe systems. The advent of hydraulic fracturing boosted pipe system sales.
Stronger together
At PPI's administrative offices in Dallas, Radoszewski and his teammates make up a staff of 10. They work together to run a $4 million organization representing an industry producing more than 3 billion pounds of plastic annually. He emphasized without any outside help, PPI's staff alone would not be enough.
Members are the backbone of trade associations, which is how work is accomplished, he added. PPI has over 150 corporate members, which translates to nearly 600 individuals from the petrochemical and equipment manufacturing industries and, of course, plastic pipe manufacturers.
"Fortunately, we have a lot of smart members -- people who understand materials, understand their limitations, who work to develop codes and standards," he said. "If there's a greater awareness and acceptance of the products, we are going to sell more pipe. At the end of the day, our goal is to increase market share for our members in all the products they make.
"The biggest challenge to growth is to convince designers and specifiers that alternative solutions are available. If we can convince people to stop doing what they've always been doing -- which is inertia -- they can recognize the long-term benefits at a lower cost and with a much more sustainable system."
PPI also works with other associations and government agencies to help industries recognize alternatives exist. These partnerships help each group advocate for plastic systems awareness, government funding and fewer industry monopolies, among other industry goals.
"When we are working with all these other associations, that is industry," he said. "As an industry, if we have a user's best interests at heart, we definitely want to have the longest-performing, most sustainable, lowest- cost product available. That is the nature of plastic pipe systems."
For more information, visit www.plasticpipe.org or call (469) 499-1044.
