Composite Recycling Technology Center adds industry leader to board, Nobuyuki Odagiri from Toray Composite Materials America, Inc.

PORT ANGELES, WA – The Composite Recycling Technology Center has appointed Nobuyuki Odagiri to its Board of Directors. New membership and expansion of the nonprofit center’s board marks a significant milestone for the fast-growing organization, a pioneer in the reuse and remanufacturing of advanced materials.

Nobuyuki Odagiri serves as Vice President and Senior Technical Fellow for Toray Composite Materials America, Inc., (CMA) of Tacoma, a longtime leader in the advanced materials industry. Odagiri-san has held numerous leadership positions during his 36-year career with the company, and been responsible for the overall management of Toray CMA operations including setting strategy as well as the Research & Development of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composite Technologies. He has broad leadership experience and significant expertise in polymer synthesis and design, matrix resin design, and composite material design and fabrication.

“We are delighted to have Odagiri-san join the Board,” said Anson Fatland, CRTC Board Chair. “He is a person of very high character combined with exceptional technical knowledge and really brings outstanding skills and abilities to the team. We know he will be a great asset to the CRTC organization as we drive hard and prepare for significant growth.”

From its new, state-of-the-art facility at the Port of Port Angeles, the CRTC has pioneered the recycling and reuse of tons of uncured carbon fiber composite scrap – byproducts of aerospace manufacturing and assembly – materials that would otherwise go to landfills. An estimated 50 million pounds of carbon fiber scrap are produced annually, with approximately 2 million pounds per year produced in Washington State. With the expansion of regional manufacturing, this volume is expected to double over the next five to eight years.

The mission of the CRTC is to inspire and grow the global composite recycling community through innovation in technology and manufacturing that transforms carbon fiber scrap into products that positively impact people’s lives and our environment.

For its technological innovation and new market creation, CRTC earned the Silver Award for Sustainability from Seattle Business Magazine in 2017. The company has created 16 jobs and more than $3 million in new economic activity over the past year, garnering a 2016 Award of Excellence from the Clallam County Economic Development Corporation.

Funding for the CRTC recycling facility and campus was provided by the Port of Port Angeles, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Clallam County Opportunity Fund and the City of Port Angeles.

The CRTC campus also houses Peninsula College’s Advanced Manufacturing Composite Technology program with classrooms, offices, and lab facilities. The program gives students hands-on training in advanced materials recycling and remanufacturing techniques. Co-location with CRTC provides students with unequaled opportunities for internships, manufacturing and R&D experience, and exposure to production operations.

About Toray Composite Materials: Toray Composite Materials America, Inc. was formed in 2017 following the merger of Toray Composites (America), Inc. and Toray Carbon Fibers America, Inc., pioneers and longtime leaders in the advanced materials industry. CMA’s Tacoma plant was established in 1992 – incorporated in Pierce County, and located adjacent to Boeing’s Composite Manufacturing Center – enabling an efficient supply stream of Toray’s carbon fiber composite materials to the state’s aerospace industry. Toray’s advanced carbon fiber composite materials are now incorporated into the Boeing 777 and 787 primary structures and will be used on the new 777X wing. CMA’s Tacoma plant, a major exporter from Washington State, supplies a diverse customer base both domestically and internationally.

For more information on the CRTC: www.compositerecycling.org
​For more information on the Toray CMA: www.toraycma.com