Nile Polymers

Howard Fisher began a lifelong journey with materials at a young age, working alongside his uncle, George Fisher, at Fisher Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was captivated by the process—watching barrels of resin and pallets of glass fiber arrive, and later seeing fully-assembled composite tanks and pipes depart on large trucks. It was inspiring to witness raw materials transformed through ingenuity and skill into valuable, high-performance products.

As he gained experience, Howard transitioned into working with fluoroplastics, applying them as liners in composite and steel structures and in powder coating over steel surfaces. These versatile materials and their wide industrial uses sparked a deeper interest, especially in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a fluoropolymer that stands out for its remarkable properties and versatile applications.

PVDF is an important cornerstone of modern industry. From food and medical production to lithium-ion batteries, solar panels, semiconductor processing, wire and cable insulation, filtration membranes, chemical piping and transport and piezoelectric devices like speakers and sensors—this fluorinated thermoplastic is indispensable in our modern life. It can be injection molded, blow molded, extruded, 3D printed, sheet-lined and welded, powder coated, electrospun into nanofibers and dissolved and sprayed as a liquid.

Howard’s interest in materials, particularly fluoropolymers, led him to earn a degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Utah and a graduate degree in Polymer Science from the University of Akron.  Seeing additional product opportunities for PVDF, he started Nile Polymers in 2012.  It continues to be a lot of fun.

Tribute to Grandpa

The original Nile company name was an idea from my grandfather, Marlow Fisher. He grew up as a poor boy in the foothills east of Bountiful, Utah. To quote the words of a song he taught his family: “… he never had a cent and was dead broke.” He met the love of his life, my grandmother Leone Fisher, in junior high and worked up his courage to propose to her in the 9th grade. To support his growing family beyond his work as a pharmacist, he learned the chemical formulary business and developed products for mortuaries and the embalming process.

In a tip of his fedora to the early Egyptians and their embalming practices, Grandpa called his company Nile Products. Many of his grandchildren remember working with him in the lab bottling lotions, shampoos and embalming fluid. A joy to be around, he always had a kind smile, a funny story and plenty of time to drink a Coke or eat a bowl of strawberry ice cream. He is fondly remembered by all who knew him and his whole family is proud to bear his family name. Nile Polymers is a legacy to his example, integrity and kindness. We all look forward to seeing him again.