Turtle Plastics transitions ownership

Lorain, Ohio-based Turtle Plastics, a designer and manufacturer of safety stabilization products and interlocking tiles made from recycled plastic, specifically polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high-density polyethylene and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, has converted to a Women-Owned Small Business with its recent strategic organizational change.

Tom Norton, the founder of Cleveland Reclaim Industries, which does business as Turtle Plastics, has shifted the majority of his shares in the company to existing female leaders within the company, according to a news release. Clinical EHS (environmental, health and safety) Advisor Karen Bradley and President Liz Demetriou are now the majority shareholders.

Norton says, "We feel that these new steps will not only propel Turtle Plastics dynamically but will ensure its existence indefinitely in carrying out lifesaving products but also fulfilling our missions through the Turtle Plastics Foundation in regard to social justice and environmental issues for the future."

"The mission is clear and we are 100 percent committed to continually seeking ways to innovate products and also to improve access to customers, and we believe this organizational change will lead the way for future generations," Demetriou says.  

Bradley adds, "For years, I happily supported my husband, Tom, as the founder of Turtle Plastics. Recently, I began to take a more active role as a clinical advisor for the company's EHS initiatives and have had the pleasure of working with Tom and our management shareholders of Liz Demetriou and Dennis Hildebrandt. Tom and I were delighted when Liz agreed to become the president of Turtle Plastics and Dennis became vice president."

Turtle Plastics’ products include Turtle Tiles, which are made completely with recycled PVC and include an end-of-life buyback program, Dura Crib cribbing blocks for stabilizing heavy loads and vehicles in fire and rescue and industrial settings and Dura Stat products for industrial maintenance and repair. The company also has created comprehensive fire and rescue kits, heavy equipment kits and the Turtle Tube grain bin rescue tube.

In 2017, Norton and Bradley created the Turtle Plastics Foundation, which is described as “a broad-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate, create, support and promote educational, environmental, health and safety initiatives worldwide.”