Business Wire: Stopol, Inc., MAAC Hosting Casino Night at SPE 2005 to Benefit Scholarship Fund

SOLON, Ohio -- Stopol, Inc. and MAAC Machinery will host a Casino Night September 25 during the Society of Plastics Engineers Thermoforming Division 2005 trade show in Milwaukee, with all proceeds going directly toward the SPE Thermoforming Division for the Student Scholarship Fund.

Solon, Ohio-based Stopol is a leader in arranging the acquisition and sale of production equipment and machinery, businesses, divisions, product lines, and manufacturing licenses in the plastics industry. Headquartered in Carol Stream, Ill., MAAC is one of the top thermoforming machinery manufacturers in the United States, providing a wide array of thermoforming machines, tooling and processing services.

Billed as Lose Your Shirt for a Good Cause, Casino Night is an annual highlight of the SPE Thermoforming Division Show, which takes place September 24-27 at the Midwest Express Convention Center in Milwaukee. Held September 25th from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Hilton Milwaukee's Crystal Ballroom, Casino Night allows attendees to experience the thrill and excitement of blackjack, craps and Texas Hold'em. All proceeds generated by donors' contributions and Casino Night will go directly to the SPE Thermoforming Division for the Student Scholarship Fund.

Stopol is joining MAAC to sponsor the 2005 Student Scholarship Fund, which will solidify the long-term future and vitality of the plastics industry by helping develop engineering talent.

The Student Scholarship Fund offers scholarships to students who have demonstrated or expressed an interest in the plastics industry. To be eligible, applicants must be involved in an area of study that could lead to a career in the plastics industry, including polymer science, chemistry, physics, and plastics, chemical, mechanical or industrial engineering.

Stopol and MAAC are soliciting contributions from plastics industry companies, executives and organizations. These donations will be used to purchase gifts that will be auctioned off during Casino Night.

"This is the ninth time MAAC has sponsored the scholarship fund, but this is the first time we've teamed up with another company that is matching our contribution in terms of effort and resources," said Paul V. Alongi, MAAC CEO and founder. "Our partnership with Stopol already is showing some really promising results. I think this year's scholarship fund will be the largest ever."

Thus far, a number of donors have made sizeable contributions to this year's fund, including Wilbert Plastics Services Inc., Primex Plastics Corp., Dow Chemical Company, Pelican International, Irwin Research and Development Inc., Modern Machinery, Senoplast USA Inc., Brown Machine LLC, Ex-Tech Plastics Inc., Spartech Corp., G.N. Plastics Company Ltd., Tooling Tech Inc., Sencorp Inc., Solar Plastics Inc., Geiss, New Hampshire Plastics Inc., Lyle Industries Inc., Portage Casting Mold Inc., Plastics Concepts and Innovations LLC.

"You can't place a price tag on the value and importance of education," said Donald Kruschke, Stopol's Executive Vice President. "Stopol believes this; MAAC believes this. And from the number of donors we have stepping up to the plate, the thermoforming community believes this."

To make a donation or learn more, please call Donald Kruschke at (440) 498-4000 or contact him by email at donk@stopol.com.

About Stopol, Inc.:

Headquartered in Solon, Ohio, Stopol is a privately held corporation specializing in arranging the acquisition and sale of production equipment and machinery, businesses, divisions, product lines, and manufacturing licenses in the plastics industry. With unparalleled insight into the business market and the value of potential acquisitions, Stopol takes efficient, tactical approaches to connecting buyers and sellers in the plastics industry. In direct contact with more than 27,000 manufacturers, Stopol serves as a strategic partner for merger and acquisition opportunities, helping companies find cost-effective solutions while maximizing their resources.

About MAAC Machinery

Headquartered in Carol Stream, Ill., MAAC Machinery provides an extensive array of thermoforming machinery, tooling, and processing services. Founded by Paul V. Alongi in 1982, MAAC is the fastest growing U.S. manufacturer of sheet fed thermoforming machinery. Integrating a world-class application engineering staff with a new state-of-the art manufacturing plant, MAAC provides an array of thermoforming services, including plant assessments, machinery replacement programs, modifications (rebuilds, retrofits and upgrades), training, parts programming and numerous other services. Comprised of thermoformers, engineers, programmers and technicians, MAAC's team of highly trained, dedicated employees are available to deliver the solutions you need to keep your operations up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible.