120 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING TODD KASSABIAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER Keystone Plastics Inc. Bordentown, NJ Musicians may not recognize Todd Kassabian’s name, but they would certainly recognize his invention: the DW 9000 bass drum pedal. The product is just one example of how a simple idea can impact an entire industry. It also represents the successful career he has built through hands-on lived experience. Since 2020, Mr. Kassabian has served as a mechanical engineer at Keystone Plastics Inc., though his journey to this role has been anything but traditional. However, his unconventional path is precisely what has led to his success. Mr. Kassabian operates with a resilient mindset forged by the significant adversity he faced early in life. He became an emancipated minor at 15 after enduring several difficult life circumstances, forcing him to grow up quickly. He dropped out of high school midway through his sophomore year to support himself. Initially finding employment as a dishwasher, Mr. Kassabian’s first exposure to the mechanical trades came through his brother’s work in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and sheet metal. This complemented his lifelong inclination to take things apart and rebuild them, and he began his career as a diesel and heavy equipment mechanic. Mr. Kassabian gained invaluable experience in this early role and began making connections in the industry. He became friends with a subcontractor and welder who hired him as a high-end custom welder and fabricator for race cars and their parts, as well as for pharmaceutical equipment. It was during this time that Mr. Kassabian had a fateful encounter. A passionate drummer, he had the opportunity to meet the owner of the Long Island Drum Center, a man who had made a lasting impression on Mr. Kassabian’s brother at a music clinic years earlier. This man turned out to be Dom Famularo, a world-famous drummer, motivational speaker and teacher who taught many of the industry’s most well-known drummers. Mr. Famularo became Mr. Kassabian’s teacher and mentor. During one conversation, Mr. Famularo expressed a need for better bass pedals. This sparked Mr. Kassabian’s interest, and a complete design came to him quite suddenly one evening. However, he lacked the
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