INDA LOGO

Kays Chinai

Lifetime Technical Achievement Award

2007

Johnson & Johnson, Rayonier

Kays has a long list of achievements.  Most notably, he has created innovative absorbent structures that have brought significant commercial success to Johnson & Johnson as well as Rayonier.  Kays spent most of his professional career in the development of consumer disposable products using new nonwoven technologies in combination with absorbent materials.  His efforts along with a multi-company development team resulted in the first Carefree panty liner.  This is a multi billion dollar market segment, now.  This nonwoven process combined novel air laying technology with standard carding and thermal bonding to product a state-of-the-art multi-functional fabric that became the heart of the Carefree line of products.

A similar process was present for the development and launch of the NovaThin absorbent core at Rayonier.

Kays has been awarded 23 patents primarily in absorbent product design and construction.

Today, after retiring from both organizations, he continues to work with inventors and companies to apply nonwoven technology to new markets with innovative design and approaches.

Kays Chinai Acceptance Speech at INTC 2007

I am humbled an honored to be nominated and to be awarded this Lifetime Technical achievement Award by a distinguished association like INDA.  It is all the more meaningful to me that this award is the recognition of my peers in the industry who have considered me worthy of the award.  It was quite a surprise –when Rory Holmes called to inform me that I had been chosen for the Technical Achievement Ward that left me speechless.

Though I have been singled out for this recognition, I will be remiss if I do not acknowledge the support and encouragement of the many people I have had the good fortune to work with, and all the collaborative efforts of my colleagues at Johnson & Johnson and Rayonier.  In particular, I would like to recognize my mentors and colleagues- Dr. Dabi of Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Chapas of National Labs.

This is a very nice occasion for me- the culmination of all my years in this exciting field and recognition of my small contribution towards improved products in the marketplace.

Once again, thank you all.