Iowa Inventors Hall of Fame and Iowa Inventor of the Year
2006 Recipients announced by Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association

The Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association (IIPLA) has named Eugene G. Sukup, founder and chairman of Sukup Manufacturing Company in Sheffield, Iowa, the newest member of the Iowa Inventor’s Hall of Fame for 2006. Dr. Iver E. Anderson, a senior metallurgist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and an Iowa State University adjunct professor of Materials Science and Engineering, is the recipient of the 2006 Iowa Inventor of the Year award.
The awards are given to Iowa inventors who have made the most significant contributions to improving the way of life for Iowans and mankind through their inventions. The Hall of Fame award recognizes an inventor for his or her lifetime achievements while the Inventor of the Year award designates the most outstanding innovation for the year.
Eugene Sukup received his first patent in 1965, on a portable grain aeration device. This invention, along with other automated processes, improved agricultural operations and prevented the loss of grain from spoilage and overheating in the drying process.
Over the years, Mr. Sukup has acquired more than 30 patents, and his company, Sukup Manufacturing, holds over 70 U.S. patents. With his son Charles as president and his son Steven as vice president and CFO, Eugene Sukup and Sukup Manufacturing Company have reached sales over $50 million. They employ approximately 275 people and remain the largest family-owned grain system manufacturer. The manufacturing facilities are located in Sheffield, Iowa, where Eugene started the company over 40 years ago.
Dr. Anderson is recognized for his development of a lead-free solder alloy. U.S. patents were issued to Dr. Anderson in 1996 and 2001, but recent environmental regulations have placed his invention in the spotlight this year.
A significant source of environmental pollution is found in the lead used to solder parts of electronic devices – cell phones, computers, etc. When these devices are discarded in landfills - an estimated 3,000 tons are discarded daily in the United States alone - the lead in the solder becomes a highly toxic threat.
Due to this threat, the European Union began to strictly limit the amount of lead used in the circuitry of electronic devices, effective this year. With the European limitations, similar restrictions in Japan, and other countries expected to follow suit, the demand for Dr. Anderson’s lead-free alternative has increased dramatically. His invention is already licensed to over 50 companies world-wide and has generated millions of dollars in sales.
Sukup and Anderson were presented their awards by Tim Zarley, 2006 President of the IIPLA, on Friday, October 13, at a banquet in Des Moines. The Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association is an organization of intellectual property attorneys and professionals across the state of Iowa. The awards banquet is held in conjunction with the IIPLA’s annual continuing legal education seminar.

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