杏吧原创

In 1988, Mark Saab 鈥�81 had a vision. A vision of a product that no one in the market was making: an ultra-thin walled medical tubing. Saab believed he could produce it and was confident the market would be there.

And his wife Elisia believed in him.

Sacrificing nights and weekends, while working two day jobs, she helped Mark turn his vision into one of the most respected companies in its field.

launched in 1989 and after a few years was turning a profit. The company, based in Salem, N.H., is a pioneer in the production of the industry鈥檚 thinnest, strongest and smallest heat-shrink tubing and specialized medical balloons. A merger with the MedTech Group in N.J. 鈥減rovides substantial growth opportunities for the combined company," says Saab.

Saab聽wasn't聽always headed for a career in plastics, however.

He started at ULowell as a chemical engineering student, until touring the plastics engineering department with late professor, Ray Normandin. Something clicked and Saab switched majors almost on the spot, crediting the switch for a good part of the successes that have followed: 鈥淚 learned so much there. I聽wouldn't聽be where I am today, professionally or financially, without what I got from that program. It gave me the abilities I have.鈥�

Much of the Saabs鈥� generosity directed toward the University, among other outlets, has reflected this gratitude.

The 2007 Mark and Elisia Saab Family Scholarship for plastics engineering majors is one example, as is the earlier gift of a teaching facility dedicated to polymer property evaluation. Still another was the couple鈥檚 $500,000 gift in 2009 鈥� matched by a state fund 鈥� to seed a UMass Lowell professorship in green plastics. In 2011, a $750,000 gift to aid in the construction of the University鈥檚 $80 million, 84,000 square-foot Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, which broke ground in summer 2011 and held its grand opening in Oct. 2012. In Dec. 2012 the center was renamed the Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center in tribute to the Saabs' for their generous contributions to UMass Lowell.

鈥淚 remember, I used to think that the state paid most of the costs of a UMass education,鈥� says Mark, who lives today in Lowell with Elisia and their two daughters. 鈥淚've聽learned differently 鈥� that it鈥檚 actually an incredibly small percentage that鈥檚 state-funded. There鈥檚 just no way a program like [plastics engineering] could be developed and maintained without outside support.

鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a unique program; there鈥檚 not another like it anywhere in the country. I travel a fair amount on business, and it聽doesn't聽matter where you go, if you鈥檙e working in this industry you鈥檙e going to run into someone from UMass Lowell plastics. That鈥檚 a real tribute to the program. It鈥檚 really special, and it聽doesn't聽just happen by itself.聽

鈥淚鈥檝e been fortunate. And what I learned there is a big part of the reason. It鈥檚 not hard to make the decision to give back.鈥�