Obituary: Charlie Martin, president of Leistritz

Charlie Martin recently received the Heinz Hermann Twin Screw Extrusion Award from the Society of plastics Engineers.

Charlie Martin, president and general manager of Leistritz Extrusion North America, died July 10, leaving a legacy of contributions to the plastics industry that included patents, technical presentations and textbooks. He was 65. Martin was widely known for his expertise in twin-screw extrusion.

In March he received the 2026 Heinz Hermann Twin Screw Extrusion Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers for his contributions to advancing the technology used to mix materials to manufacture everything from packaging films to carpet fibers, car interiors and decking. Martin got his start in the business in 1984 as a marketing manager and sales engineer at Killion Extruders after earning his business administration degree from Gettysburg College, where he was involved in football, wrestling and a fraternity. While working at Killion Extruders, which was sold to a holding company, Martin completed the MBA program at Rutgers University.

He graduated in 1990 and got a job with New Jersey-based Leistritz Extrusion, where he worked for 36 years. Martin played a key role in developing the North America extrusion business of the Germany-based parent company, Leistritz Extrusionstechnik GmbH. “Throughout the industry, he was widely respected for his expertise in twin-screw extrusion. His work was closely connected with the development of new applications, including direct extrusion, the integration of multiple process steps into complete production systems, and the use of twin-screw technology in demanding medical and pharmaceutical applications,” the company posted on a LinkedIn post announcing Martin’s death.

Martin also shared knowledge beyond his day-to-day work. He wrote more than 100 technical papers, contributed chapters to books, served as co-editor of the

Source and reference

reference work Pharmaceutical Extrusion Technology and the twin screw extruder section of the German Plastics Handbook (Hanser 2022), and was a member of the board of directors of the Society of Plastics Engineers’ Extrusion Division. Karen Xiao, vice president of technology at Macro Engineering & Technology Inc., served with Martin on the SPE board. She recalled a “truly one of a kind” person who treated everyone he met with respect, kindness, and generosity. “Whether you needed his professional expertise, a helping hand, or simply a friend to lean on, Charlie was always there. For more than 40 years, Charlie was a constant presence in the extrusion industry. His dedication, leadership and passion helped shape our community in countless ways. Many of us will always remember his warm smile, his dry sense of humour, and the genuine care he showed to everyone around him,” Xiao said in...

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