Smith to oversee development of new refractory materials to

assure innovation and quality for 100% customer satisfaction

Plibrico Company, LLC, today announced the appointment of Roger Smith as its Technical Manager.

As the newest member of the company’s technical team, Smith will be responsible for development of innovative refractory formulas, while also providing superior technical guidance to its partners and customers. He will oversee product quality and assist in identifying the best materials for refractory construction projects. Smith will report to Plibrico’s Vice President of Engineering, Dan Szynal.

“Smith has the ceramic engineering background and creative intelligence to identify refractory industry challenges and help develop solutions to address these performance issues,” said Szynal. He went on to say, “Plibrico has a long history of product innovation, starting as far back as 1914 when it introduced the first commercially successful plastic refractory. Our partners and customers have come to depend on Plibrico’s innovation to help them solve their tough refractory concerns.”

With 15 years of experience in the processing, characterization, and testing of traditional and advanced ceramics, Smith brings to his new position a demonstrated ability to successfully identify thermal processing issues, and develop products and processes to address the obstacles. Prior to Plibrico, Smith’s previous positions include RHI Magnesita and Bucher Emhart Glass, where he was a Ceramist for almost 10 years. As a Ceramist, Smith conducted technical customer visits to address performance concerns, developed and commercialized new refractory material that increased service life by 20%, and increased plant capacity by reducing kiln cycle times by 25%.

Smith is a member of the America Ceramic Society, serving as Chairman of the St. Louis, MO section from 2014-16. He also was a member of the ASTM Committee C08 on refractories from 2010-17. Smith holds a Master’s degree in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla.

For more information please contact Plibrico at 312-337-9000, or contact@plibrico.com