E. Niles Kenyon, former president and CEO of Conair Group, passed away Sept. 12 in Vero Beach, Fla., with his family at his side. He died at the age of 78 after a battle with prostate cancer.
Kenyon led the auxiliary equipment maker from 1986 to 2004. He was a longtime advocate for the plastics industry, and during his time at Conair he forged bonds between the company and Penn State. The engineering partnership eased the adoption of university-developed technology, and Conair donated or loaned equipment to Penn State and supported a variety of individual projects.
Prior to entering the plastics industry, Kenyon worked in the titanium industry as a sales executive. He is survived by his wife Jayne, his sons Todd and Troy and six grandchildren, as well as his beloved Portuguese Water Dog, Millie.