Tom Christian
CEO
Tom Christian leads Industrial Plastic Valves’ Organizational Development and Operations, and has lived nearly all his life in the Reno-Carson City area. Tom’s background includes a 15-year career with 3M Corporation as Corporate Service Manager. In that capacity, Tom’s service department was one of the top-rated facility among nearly 160 service departments in 3Ms national network. Seeking an opportunity to expand his career, Tom opened Premier Powder Coating in 1991. Under his creative influence the business expanded, more than doubling the size of its Carson City facility just a year later; a Reno facility was added in 1995. Among many significant accolades, Tom was honored with the prestigious Governor’s Industrial Appreciation Award for Nevada Businesses. Tom joined Industrial Plastic Valves as CEO in 2014, and continues the fine traditions initially developed by founder and advisor, Paul LaFleur, working diligently to provide customers with unparalleled service and expertise.
Paul LaFleur
Founder & Advisor
Industrial Plastic Valves Company was started in 1990 by Paul La Fleur. Paul has been in the fluid control valve business since 1982 working almost exclusively with solenoid operated, water and chemical control valves. In 1990 he was working for Richdel Incorporated, a water valve and controller manufacturing company. Richdel, Inc. closed their industrial valve division later that year and Paul saw this as an opportunity to start his own company. Initially the company, then called MicroValve focused on small 1/8” solenoid valves, but after receiving numerous requests for larger size valves the company name was changed to Industrial Plastic Valves. Today, Industrial Plastic Valves has several hundred loyal customers serving multiple industrial solenoid valve applications.