About us

Home
About us

Polymer Consulting Group was established in 2020 to leverage the experience and facilities available to the co-founders to solve development challenges facing clients ranging in size from research groups to start-up companies, all the way to Fortune 500 companies.

Our expertise centers around five main areas: synthesis (additives, monomer and polymer), prototype and formulation development, analytical analysis of small molecules and polymers/plastics, scale-up, and grant acquisition. Find out more

Bios

Polymer Consulting Plastics consulting Polymer development Plastics formulation Polymer synthesis Plastics analytics

Eric Cochran

CoFounder and Technical Advisor

Eric W. Cochran is the co-founder and technical advisor to Polymer Consulting Group, LLC. He applies over 25 years of expertise in polymer science to deliver innovative and practical solutions tailored to industry needs. With a deep understanding of polymer chemistry and polymer physics applied to coatings, adhesives, additives, plastics, and rubbers, Eric helps clients navigate complex technical challenges and leverage new opportunities in sustainable polymer development.

In addition to his consulting role, Eric is the Mary Jane Skogen Hagenson and Randy L. Hagenson Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Iowa State University. He has successfully translated cutting-edge research into commercially viable technologies, supporting 3 spin-off startup companies, and playing an instrumental role as Site Director of the NSF Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites.

Eric has authored nearly 170 peer-reviewed publications and holds over 50 patents, showcasing his leadership in polymer innovation and technology development. His professional achievements include recognition as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and recipient of numerous industry and academic awards, including the Boylan Award for Research Excellence and multiple honors from the American Chemical Society (ACS). His dual expertise in academia and industry positions him uniquely to provide strategic insights, foster innovation, and guide clients towards solutions in the polymer industry.

Michael Forrester

CoFounder and Lead Scientist

primary point of contact for client engagements. With a background in both polymer chemistry and processing, Michael leads PCG’s day-to-day operations and works hands-on with clients to develop, scale, and evaluate new polymer materials and processes.

Michael has over a decade of experience in polymer R&D, with deep expertise in the synthesis of novel monomers and polymers, process development, and advanced analytical techniques. He works directly with startups and established companies on proof-of-concept development, scale-up, QA/QC analytics, and failure analysis—helping bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and real-world application.

In addition to his leadership at PCG, Michael is a research scientist at Iowa State University, where he collaborates with Dr. Eric Cochran on projects involving bio-based materials and industrial polymer technologies. He has authored 33 peer-reviewed publications and is an inventor on 35 patents or patents pending. His work has contributed to the launch and technical success of multiple startup companies, with several technologies now in commercial use.

Polymer Consulting Group, LLC

5.0

Based on 3 reviews

review us on

Vadim Zaikov

18:26 03 Jun 25

I'd like to share few words about my experience working with Polymer Consulting Group. I've found them via my group's engineers who I've hired from Iowa State University (where PCG is located). Basically I have only good words to describe my collaboration with the PCG. I did ask them for some polymeric analysis few times and every time they did it in a comprehensive and timely manner. Michael is always available for a talk and responded to my requests very quickly. I did work with similar labs before and did have some level of dissatisfaction, while here with PCG I see no need to look any further. No doubt with my next analytical needs I'll seek their help. Highly recommended.

Dane Anderson

16:56 30 May 25

PCG are unbeatable on performance, cost, and flexible commitment when it comes to polymer R&D and application development. Eric and Michael were able to provide the expertise and equipment access needed to achieve new applications with small R&D quantities of polymer. I plan to use them again in any new polymer development going forward.

Oliver Shafaat

15:17 30 May 25

Polymer Consulting Group (PCG) has been amazing in all the work—3 years—that we have done with them. Michael, Eric, and the team leverage their years of experience to make sure your project/work gets done in the most successful way. They also provide suggestions to ensure that the work is transferrable to different sites or scales. I could not recommend working with PCG on projects more.