Vectorply wins Shape Corp. 2020 Supplier of the Year Award

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Spring Lake, MI – On Thursday, February 27, Shape Corp. held their 2020 Supplier of the Year Award ceremony with more than 60 key suppliers in attendance. Vectorply Corporation, who has partnered with Shape since 2014 on development and material selection for Shape’s innovative curved, composite pultrusion process, was recognized at the ceremony with a selection as a Shape Corp. Supplier of the Year.

“Receiving the Supplier of the Year Award from Shape Corp. is a true honor for our entire team at Vectorply.” Said Vectorply President and CEO Trevor Humphrey”. “There’s no doubt that Shape is and will continue to be a key strategic partner of ours. Our companies share many common goals, and throughout our history our teams have worked closely together to provide high quality products for the automotive market.”

In 2014, Shape Corp. called on Vectorply to begin developing specialized carbon fabrics and laminate schedules for the automotive industry’s first curved, multi-hollow pultruded carbon fiber bumper beam. Initially, Vectorply’s sales and engineering teams assisted Shape Plastic and Composites Engineering Manager Toby Jacobson with dialing in the ideal fabrics for their revolutionary new curved pultrusion process. The historic part produced from this process was included on an equally historic automobile – General Motors Co.’s first mid-engine Corvette – the 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray.

“Through Shape’s innovative production process and willingness to push the boundaries of what is possible with composite materials, we have been fortunate enough to contribute to the automotive world’s first curved, pultruded carbon part for the 2020 mid-engine Corvette,” Humphrey said.

An equally important member of the collaborative team is Composites One, a leading North American distributor of composite materials and technical expertise. The success at Shape has resulted, in large part, because of Composites One’s technical support and consistent delivery according to Humphrey.

“I would also like to thank another great Vectorply partner, Composites One, for introducing us to Shape six years ago and for their continued support since that time,” he said. “Composites One’s dedication to supply excellence has been crucial to our combined success as a team.”

As a world-leader in the development of advanced composite reinforcements for high-end products, Vectorply relies on creative partners such as Shape to continue to innovate and push the limits of composite materials.

“As an engineering-driven company we cannot continue to improve as a supplier without customers who are willing to take risks to develop new processes and products that test our capabilities. For that, we are extremely thankful for our relationship with Shape Corp., and humbled to receive this wonderful award,” said Humphrey.