Nile Polymers

Howard Fisher began a lifelong journey with materials at a young age, working alongside his uncle and mentor, George Fisher, at Fisher Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was captivated by the making process—watching barrels of resin and pallets of glass fiber arrive, and later seeing fully-assembled composite tanks and complex designs depart on large trucks. It was amazing 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.