ACTIVITY PROFILE

Bishoff Entrepreneur in Residence - Leaks & Spills Made Simple

Hammond Building, Room 220

13 November 2012 - 14 November 2012

University Park, Pennsylvania

For more information:

Organizer: Penn State Small Business Development Center

Time: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Event Overview: "Our business is about leak and spill prevention and cleanup, and we are seeing that industrial plants and facilities are continuing the trend of turning away from loose clay floor sweep (particulates) and switching to nonwoven contained absorbents like Pig Mat," says Dan Silver, New Pig's vice president of product development. "More and more people that work in factories and commercial facilities are reaching the conclusion that using floor sweep to soak up spills on floors is just 'making a mess to clean a mess.' Sheets of non-woven polypropylene absorbents like Pig Mat provide better absorbency and are quick and efficient to use." Silver says that Pig Mat is far and away the company's most popular product. ... Silver emphasizes that the drive for sustainability is playing a major role in product development, and non-wovens are filling the need. ... New Pig affectionately refers to its employees as "Piggers," and Silver says that they've been quite busy. Thus, business, and the industrial market itself, is good. He says, "Most of our customers make 'stuff.' They make machines, parts, cars, planes, tools, food, homes, newspapers - you name it. Presented by: Dan Silver, VP New Product Development, New Pig Corporation Daniel Silver leads the Product Development and Portfolio Management teams at Central PA’s New Pig Corporation. New Pig is the leading global provider of leak and spill solutions to industrial and commercial facilities throughout the world, serving more than 200,000 sites in over 70 countries. New Pig’s product innovations have earned more than 25 Product of the Year Awards from Plant Engineering Magazine; more than any other company. Daniel came to New Pig in 2007 from the Newell Rubbermaid Corporation, where he led the New Business Division for the Graco Corp., the juvenile products subsidiary. Daniel previously served as VP of Product Development for FAO Inc., which included the famous toy retailer FAO Schwarz in its brand portfolio. Dan is committed to the idea that customer insights, market thinking, and fast-track technology experimentation are inseparable elements for a robust product development program. In addition, for need-based products, Dan “looks for the duct-tape,” honing in on compensating behaviors that are actually pleas for new product solutions. Understanding the consumer’s pain-points has been a vital aspect of new product development in Dan’s career. Cost: FREE!