Preferred Compounding news

Rubbery smoothie names earn iPads for two winners
in Preferred Compounding contest

October, 2011

The iPad2 winners

Isoprenacolada, Gabriele Nuzzi, Firestone Polymers, Akron

Elasto Mango Tango, Jermaine Byrd, Federal-Mogul Corporation, Detroit

Smoothie naming contest finalists

BARBERTON, OHIO – Is it possible to create an appealing name for a blended fruit smoothie that includes a rubber manufacturing term? Seems unlikely.

But what if you could win one of two Apple iPad^® 2 for your efforts?

This was the challenge for those submitting entries in Preferred Compounding’s “Best Name for a Smoothie Served at the Booth of a Rubber Compounder Double iPad2 Giveaway” at Rubber Expo 2011 October 11-13 in Cleveland.

For inspiration, the Barberton-based custom rubber compounder served more than 1,300 custom blended smoothies in their booth throughout the show. The ingredients? Nothing more than fruit, yogurt, coffee and ice. Fortunately, the closest those smoothies came to a polymer were the plastic cups in which they were served.

There were more than 300 entries, from which the Preferred Compounding judges selected 26 finalists.

“While the potential for unappetizing names was certainly great,” said Joe Hudson, vice president of sales and business development for Preferred, “the quality of the finalists was high. Choosing the winners was difficult.”

The winning entries: Isoprenacolada, submitted by Ken Buerhle of Firestone Polymers in Akron, and Elasto Mango Tango from Jermaine Byrd of Federal-Mogul Corporation in Detroit.

Hudson and Chief Executive Officer Ken Bloom were able to deliver the iPads personally. Firestone Polymer’s offices are near Preferred headquarters and the pair were in Detroit this week for meetings.

During the presentation at Firestone, Buerhle handed the still-in-the-box tablet computer to Research Assistant Gabriele Nuzzi. While the entry was under Buerhle’s name, Nuzzi actually came up with it. He gave the credit and the valuable prize to her.

Hudson thanked all those who entered for their efforts. The list of finalists can be found at www.preferredperforms.com in the news section.

The only remaining questions: Isoprenacolada or Elasto Tango Mango for you? And small, medium or large?

About Preferred Compounding

Preferred Compounding supplies proprietary and custom mixed rubber compounds to customers including molders, extruders, mixers and others in the rubber goods market. Primary industries served are automotive, construction, power generation and roll goods. Plants are in Tallapoosa, Georgia, Huntingdon, Tennessee, Fruithurst, Alabama and Barberton, Ohio, which is also company headquarters. Preferred is a Wingate Partners company.