Hickory Springs names foam R&D director

Mattress components supplier Hickory Springs Mfg. Co. in Hickory, N.C., has hired Vijay Nadgir as corporate director of foam research and development/customer development, a new position for the company.

Nadgir’s main area of responsibility is coordinating the foam division’s R&D efforts with the needs of its customers. He also is directly involved in troubleshooting foam-related problems and in working with customers and quality control staff.

“Hickory Springs has always been a forerunner in the development of new types of polyurethane foam,” said Bobby Bush, Hickory Springs senior vice president of foam and environmental technology. “With his distinguished R&D expertise, we look forward to seeing how Vijay will help lead Hickory Springs’ foam division to new heights of innovation, diversification and customer satisfaction.”

Nagdir has nearly 20 years of experience in the polyurethane foam industry. Most recently, he held a post with Invista where he supervised a 10-person R&D lab and provided technical service to customers around the world. Prior to that, he spent 12 years with E.R. Carpenter, where he began as a research associate in 1994, and rose to chemicals division manager before leaving the company in 2006.