2017 Editorial Advisory Board: Richard Stueber

Richard Stueber is operations manager at NyproMold Inc. in Gurnee, Illinois. He has been with NyproMold for more than 22 years. NyproMold (headquartered in Clinton, Massachusetts) builds high cavitation molds, stack and spin-stack molds and molds with in-mold closing. NyproMold also does in-mold assembly and makes unscrewing tools, insert molds, multi-shot molds with rotary plates and cube molds. Rich is responsible for the design and build of production tooling in Gurnee and works in sync with the Clinton division. “We focus mostly on healthcare relating to diagnostics, medical deliveries, drug delivery systems and medical surgical tools, but we also work with packaging and personal care products,” he says.

Rich completed his apprenticeship training and graduated from the Tooling & Manufacturing Association (which has since been renamed the Technology and Manufacturing Association) while also attending the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois. Today, he teaches machining-related courses at the college. Additionally, Rich has expertise in Systematic Mold Training, is a past recipient of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc.’s Mold Designer of the Year award and serves as an advocate for moldmaking in various board positions. Prior to NyproMold, Rich worked as a production manager for a mold builder in the Chicago area.
As a new EAB member, Rich says he is looking forward to leveraging his knowledge of shop-floor process/workflow, mold materials, mold components, education and workforce development to assist MoldMaking Technology with providing valuable data, tips and technology insights to its readers. “I feel my strongest suit is my depth of knowledge of the industry and having the ability to translate that into designing and building quality molds,” he says. When asked what he sees as a company pain point at NyproMold, Rich says, “Our biggest challenge is finding qualified personnel that are knowledgeable of any facet of the moldmaking trade. For several years, we have been training from within with great success. I also work closely with local colleges and high schools to bring attention to moldmaking with the hope of attracting talented individuals to the trade.” He also says that he looks forward to sharing some of NyproMold’s strategies for recruitment and retention of new talent, but he is also interested in learning about the in-house training programs that other shops offer to narrow the skills gap.

When he is not working, Rich enjoys spending time with his wife, Debbie, and their four grown children.