It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our beloved colleague, Jim Gardner. He was a valued member of our team and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.

Jim began his career in chemicals when he joined American Chemicals Co., located in So. Kearny, NJ in the 1980s. There he spent over 10 years learning the distribution business. American Chemicals was a regional supplier with a huge tank farm, rail lines, a large tank wagon and trailer fleet, Jim was thrown into what he called a “college for chemical distribution” and went from being an inside telemarketer to senior buyer.

American Chemicals was sold to Houghton Chemicals in the 1990’s and Jim served as a consultant for the transition to utilize his knowledge of suppliers and customers. Houghton soon hired Jim full time in the NJ location where he continued working for a few more years.

An opportunity at the John C Dolph Co. in Monmouth Junction was his next step in the industry. There, he used his extensive knowledge of the industry to work at a manufacturer of low-voltage epoxies and resins. Within a short period of time, Von Roll USA, who made high-voltage products, purchased the Dolph business to expand their product portfolio. Dolph then offered Jim a position as the Supply Chain Manager for North America at Von Roll, where he spent another 10 years.

He stayed with Von Roll USA for years to come until inevitably Von Roll closed the facility in NJ and asked Jim to lead the decommissioning of the plant and to close it down leaving only a shell of what it once was.

After 2-3 years working in the aerospace industry, Jim found a way back to what he enjoyed the most, working in the chemical industry. He found the people in the chemical industry to be of the highest standards, and he enjoyed the work and the relationships immensely. An opportunity to work with a leader in the Polyaspartic business came up. Jim was happy to meet with Harley and Craig McNair of Pflaumer Brothers, Inc., who quickly asked him to come on board. In his 3 years there, he brought his talents to Pflaumer, and the company has continued to grow exponentially.

We ask that you respect the privacy of Jim’s family during this time of grief. We will keep you informed of any further developments regarding Jim’s memorial service.

Thank you for your understanding and compassion.

Jim will forever be in our memories.