Flexcon mourns founder Myles J. McDonough

Flexcon has announced the passing of its founder and chairman of the board, Myles J. McDonough, on March 30.

A resident of Worcester, Massachusetts, and The Carnegie Abbey Club, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, McDonough was an innovator and leader in the adhesives and coatings industry, and an honored philanthropist who was a passionate supporter of a number of charities.

He founded Flexcon Company in 1956 at the age of 26 as a flexible converter of plastic films. He grew the company from a two-person garage operation in Spencer, Massachusetts, to a leading manufacturer of pressure sensitive film products with 1,500 employees worldwide.

McDonough built his first equipment using parts from dismantled washing machines and created a multi-million dollar company in one lifetime without venture capital or bank loans. With characteristic humility, he once summed up his management style as ‘I hire people smarter than myself and let them excel’.

‘My father was a dedicated, honest and hard-working leader who was a role-model to me and everyone that worked with him,’ said Neil McDonough, president and CEO, Flexcon. ‘His loyalty to customers and commitment to constant innovation remain the cornerstones of the company today. Myles had an impact on so many people – from our employees, to customers and suppliers in our industry, to the local community. He will be greatly missed.’

Myles J. McDonough was the most recent recipient of the Harvey Ball Smile Award, which honored him and his wife, Mrs Jean McDonough, for their many commitments and contributions to the Worcester community. McDonough served on the boards of several Worcester institutions including Memorial Hospital, Worcester County National Bank, and WPI, where he received an award for distinguished service as a trustee of the college.

He was the president of the New England chapter of the Young Presidents Organization. He has been a long-standing member at the Tatnuck Country Club and The Worcester Club. He and his wife Jean have been involved in numerous local organizations including the American Antiquarian Society, Bancroft School, the Ecotarium, Worcester Art Museum, UMass Memorial Healthcare, Worcester Hahneman Hospital, Worcester Historical Museum, and the Greater Worcester County Community Foundation.  

McDonough was born on May 14, 1929, in New York. He was Marist educated at Saint Anne de l’Hermitage, graduated from Seton Hall University where he studied chemistry, and did graduate work at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. After graduation he worked for Johnson & Johnson for several years as a chemist before founding Flexcon.

Click here for more information about services and donations in Myles J. McDonough’s name.

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