Gordonsville,VA – Harry van Beek, 77, former president of Klöckner Pentaplast/Americas from 1977-1999, passed away on April 4, 2011. Van Beek founded the company in Gordonsville (Virginia) in 1977. Under his leadership, kp had gone from a single calender line to become the leading supplier of rigid film in the Americas.

Van Beek was born in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, on February 3, 1934. On April 8, 1961, he married Janny Verhoeven, an event that defined the rest of his life. Together, they had four children, Olga, Jeroen, Inge, and Jan-Bas. Harry moved with his family to the US to found Klöckner Pentaplast. Harry and Janny were very proud to become American citizens in a ceremony at Monticello on July 4, 1994.

Harry’s joy for soccer contributed to the building of Klöckner Stadium at the University of Virginia. Among his community activities, Harry served as the Chairman of the Board of the University of Virginia Health Services Foundation, a Board Member of Poplar Forest, and a Founding Member of the Board of the UVA Children’s Medical Center. After his retirement, Harry also enjoyed spending more time on his cattle farm and in his greenhouse. He continued to participate in the annual Walk for Kids for the UVA Children’s Hospital, which he started with Klöckner Pentaplast’s support.

In addition to his wife, children and their spouses Ed, Valerie, Mia and Rob, Harry is survived by his 8 grandchildren, Parker, Hanna, Emma, Niels, Nicole, Kiefer, Josefine, and Nellie.

“To say Harry van Beek was Klöckner Pentaplast’s president falls short of describing the impact and importance he had on kp and the plastics industry during his tenure. His commitment to rapid expansion and aggressive growth laid the foundation for the company’s success. His legacy remains an integral part of kp’s culture and business strategy today,” notes Tom Goeke, CEO, Klöckner Pentaplast Group. Goeke added “All of us who had the pleasure of knowing and working with Harry deeply mourn his passing. He was an exceptional leader with many skills, talents, and charm.”

About the Klöckner Pentaplast Group

The Klöckner Pentaplast Group is the world’s leading producer of films for pharmaceutical, medical device, food, electronics, and general-purpose thermoform packaging, as well as printing and specialty applications. Founded in 1965 in Montabaur, Germany, Klöckner Pentaplast has grown from its initial facility to 19 current production operations in 11 countries.

The Klöckner Pentaplast Group is wholly owned by affiliates of The Blackstone Group. The company has sales of over $1.3 billion (€930 million) and employs more than 3,000 people committed to serving customers worldwide.

SOURCE: Klockner Pentaplast Group