Register now !
2007 Annual Meeting!
September 9-11 at the Hyatt Regency Savannah,
Savannah, Georgia

Have you registered for TRFA's 2007 Annual Meeting?

TRFA Trial Membership

Do you know a company that would benefit from membership in TRFA? The association's Board of Directors believes that once a company tries TRFA, it will want to stay. TRFA's Trial membership allows prospective members to pay the $150 application fee only and receive the benefits of membership for the remainder of 2007. This is a terrific value! Trial Membership benefits include a reduced registration fee for the 2007 Annual Meeting in Savannah for one person from the company and an invitation to participate as a member on TRFA committees!

Trial members receive all TRFA membership benefits, including Internet visibility with links from the TRFA member list to the company's website; Quarterly newsletters; a Members-Only section on the TRFA website with access to a member address book, a list of Testing Standards for TRFA, minutes, technical papers and other TRFA-specific information; Regulatory Affairs and VOC updates when appropriate; and reduced rates for credit card processing through Solveras Payment Systems. This offer is for new members only. No current or previous members may take advantage of the Trial Membership. After 2007, companies with Trial Memberships must pay regular dues to maintain their membership. For more information, please see the website, www.trfa.org or contact the TRFA office, (630) 942-6596 or email info@trfa.org.

Existing Members: Earn a finder's Fee!

In addition to the Trial Membership for new members, the TRFA Board of Directors is offering an incentive program for existing members. Current TRFA members referring a company for full membership will receive a $25.00 Visa gift card as a finder’s fee when that company joins as a full member. The incentive also applies to trial memberships. In this case, any existing member who refers a company for a trial membership will receive an entry to win a gift card for each trial member they bring in. A drawing for the gift card will be held during the membership luncheon at the annual meeting.

Please welcome TRFA's Newest Members

Formulators/Fabricators:

Key Resin Company, Batavia, Ohio, Delegate: Robert Cain

Daubert Chemical Company, Chicago, Illinois, Delegate: Martin Hogan

Glasforms, Inc., San Jose, California, Delegate: Terry McQuarrie

Rock-Tred Corporation, Skokie , Illinois , Delegate: Dan Moran 

Copps Industries, Inc., Mequon , Wisconsin, Delegate: Greg Palmer

 H.B. Fuller Company, Vadnais Heights , Minnesota, Delegate: Chuck Torborg  

Miracon (M) Soh BHD, Seri Kembangan/ Selangor, Malaysia, Delegate: Xavier Soh

Distributors:

E.M. Sullivan Associates, Inc., Paoli, Pennsylvania, Delegate: Vincent D’Andrea

Kohl Marketing, Inc., Roswell, Georgia, Delegate: Bill Stobierski

Professional Members:

DPNA International, Inc., Troutman , North Carolina, Delegate: David Nick


Meet TRFA Board Member Tim Atkinson

Tim Atkinson is currently R&D manager at ProSet, Inc. and one of the newest members of the TRFA Board of Directors. He recently answered a few questions from the editor about his own experience with TRFA.

Q. How long have you been in the thermoset resin industry? Can you provide a little background on what you have done and what your current position is?
A. I have been employed in the thermoset resin industry (specifically epoxies) since 1989. I’ve worked as a formulation chemist as well as in areas of quality control, regulatory compliance, and technical service. My current title is R&D Manager.

Q. How long have you been involved in TRFA? What influenced your membership and what do you see as the benefits of your participation? To continue, please follow this link.

Update from VOC Task Force

TRFA’s VOC Task Force, chaired by Charlie Bartish, Air Products and Chemicals, was formed to address the new regulations in parts of the U.S. that are sharply reducing the levels of VOC’s that are acceptable in coatings formulations. The Task Force continues to work on this important issue and offers the following report:

• The ASTM DO-1 committee has approved the D2369 test revision with no negative votes.  Both ASTM and the EPA are wholeheartedly supporting this revision which calls for thicker test samples, eliminating the use of a diluent and a 24-hour cure time. 
  
  
• The EPA has also issued an exemption letter which is available for TRFA members to use if they encounter a VOC problem with the South Coast Air Quality Management District or CARB. To access this letter, please follow this link.  The EPA letter is also available on the home page of the TRFA ERC.
  
  
• The VOC Task Force recognizes that the need to lower the required test temperature to something more appropriate for ambient-cured coatings continues. To demonstrate that benzyl alcohol remains in coatings over time, the task force would like to test coatings that have been applied for a period of 5 to 10 years. Members who have samples of any such coatings are encouraged to share them with the Task Force for testing purposes.

Charlie Bartish, Air Products and Chemicals, will be presenting a complete VOC update at the annual meeting in Savannah.

Economic news

On July 17 th the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported the Producer Price Index for Finished Goods decreased 0.2 percent in June, seasonally adjusted. This decline followed advances of 0.9 percent in May and 0.7 percent in April. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods rose 0.5 percent in June after increasing 1.1 percent in the prior month, and the crude goods index moved up 0.3 percent following a 2.0-percent advance in May. For the complete report, please follow this link.

On July 13th the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported the U.S. Import Price Index advanced 1.0 percent in June, after a similar 1.1 percent increase the previous month. Higher petroleum prices drove the June rise. Export prices also continued to trend upward in June, increasing 0.3 percent following a 0.2 percent advance in May. To view the complete report, please
follow this link.

U.S. Import Price Index

Modern Distribution Management, which provided the economic analysis and the charts below, reports that product pricing trends for ball & roller bearings for 2007 reflect a current inflation rate of 3.1% based on information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with 1982 as the base year for charting. The First Quarter chart below compares First Quarter 2006 to First Quarter 2007 and Fourth Quarter 2006 to First Quarter 2007. The Second Quarter chart compares Second Quarter 2006 to Second Quarter 2007 and First Quarter 2007 to Second Quarter 2006.

First Quarter:

Second Quarter:

On June 26th, the Conference Board reported the Consumer Confidence Index, which had bounced back in May, reversed course in June. The Index now stands at 103.9 (1985=100), down from 108.5 in May. The Present Situation Index decreased to 127.9 from 136.1 in May. The Expectations Index edged down to 87.9 from 90.1. The Consumer Confidence Survey is based on a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households. The monthly survey is conducted for The Conference Board by TNS. TNS is the world's largest custom research company. The cutoff date for June's preliminary results was June 19th. Please follow this link for the complete release:

Join a TRFA Committee

Leverage the benefits of industry networking as you shape both the association and industry issues by participating on a TRFA committee. TRFA committees continue to meet beyond the Annual Meeting via conference call. There is no cost to this participation, just the willingness to invest an hour or less on a conference call. All committee members find these to be important, additional opportunities to network with industry peers and impact industry initiatives. In addition, many find it makes the face-to-face meetings at the annual event even more valuable, thanks to the relationships that have been established throughout the year. TRFA's Adhesives and Sealants; Coatings, Civil Engineering and Flooring; Composites and Tooling; Potting, Encapsulation and Electrical Committee activities include - but are not limited to - the identification of Technical Papers for the next Annual Meeting. Your participation is always welcome. To access a Committee Participation Form, please follow this link.

OTC Model Rule For Manufacture and Use of Adhesives and Sealants

The Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) has developed a Model Rule For Manufacture and Use of Adhesives and Sealants as part of a regional effort to attain and maintain the eight-hour ozone standard and reduce eight-hour ozone levels. States opting to promulgate rules based on this model rule will utilize State-specific administrative requirements and procedures. The model rule is based on reasonably available control technology determination prepared by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 1998. From 1998-2001, the provisions of the CARB determination were adopted in regulatory form in various air pollution control districts in California including the Bay Area, South Coast, Ventura County, Sacramento Metropolitan and San Joaquin Valley. To continue, please follow this link.

How important is it to your business to save money on essential business services?

Your TRFA membership is worth thousands of dollars in real savings on credit card processing and related financial solutions. TRFA has teamed up with Solveras Payment Systems to provide members with the latest credit card processing technology. The program includes negotiated group discounts and a full range of processing options designed to meet your business’s unique payment needs, including a secure virtual terminal that allows you to manage transactions from any computer with Internet access. To continue, please follow this link.

Proposal to Oversee Currency Exchange Rates

On June 13, 2007, Senators Max Baucus (D-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the "Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2007." The bill is intended to strengthen existing laws to combat the distorted exchange-rate policies of China and other trading partners, and to enhance the oversight over currency exchange rates. SPI President William Carteaux issued a statement on SPI's support for the bill. "The U.S. plastics industry has for too long felt the adverse impact of China's unfair currency practice. Plastics manufacturing is a technologically-advanced and capital-intensive industry able and willing to compete in the global marketplace. However, SPI members have for years competed on an uneven playing field, where countries like China are providing an unfair advantage to their exporters by maintaining an artificially low level of their currencies." For more information, please follow this link.



TRFA Invites Your Company News and Your Logo!

Is TRFA on your press list? If not, please add us, info@trfa.org. Also please add TRFA's logo, available at our members-only website, to your home page and literature. And while we are talking about logos, do we have yours? TRFA displays all member logos at its website and links to member websites from the "Members" page. Don't miss out on this opportunity to expand your web presence.

The following text continues features from above.

Meet TRFA Board Member Tim Atkinson

A. I have attended all of the TRFA conferences since it formed and was a regular attendee at ERFD conferences before that. We joined TRFA as a member company in 2005. Primary benefits are networking opportunities, information on new product developments, market trends, and other factors affecting our industry.

Q. What are your expectations for the 2007 Annual Meeting?
A. I expect to hear many excellent technical papers, get a feel for the overall state of the thermoset resins industry, and make contacts with suppliers and other formulators.

Q. Do you participate in other industry associations?
A. Our company participates in several other industry associations, such as ACMA, ASTM and SAMPE, but I am not very active personally.

Q. What do you see as the next big challenges and advancements for the industry?
A. Keeping up with global regulatory pressures. Survival of the little company like ours in uncertain economic times, with price increases and material shortages.

OTC Model Rule For Manufacture and Use of Adhesives and Sealants

The provisions of this model rule limit emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from adhesives, sealants and primers. The model rule achieves VOC reductions through two basic components: sale and manufacture restrictions that limit the VOC content of specified adhesives, sealants and primers sold in the state; and use restrictions that apply primarily to commercial/industrial applications. By reducing the availability of higher VOC content adhesives and sealants within the state, the sales prohibition is also intended to address adhesive and sealant usage at area sources. Emissions from residential use of regulated products are addressed through the sales restrictions and simple use provisions. The associated emissions reductions will be used as part of the State’s plan to attain and maintain the 8-hour national ambient air quality standard. To read the complete Model Rule, please follow this link. Please note you need an ERC login to reach this document. To register for TRFA's ERC, follow this link.

How important is it to your business to save money on essential business services?

Industry members can take advantage of a professional FREE savings analysis to see the program savings in writing with no obligation to enroll. For more information, please visit Solveras or call 1-800-613-0148 today.

New financial service: Deposit paper checks without leaving your office Remote Deposit Capture (RDC) technology makes it possible for you to securely deposit paper checks right from the comfort and convenience of your desktop. RDC is a complete and efficient check management system that radically improves the entire check deposit and storage process. It eliminates trips to the bank and the need to photocopy and store checks. With this user-friendly system, you’ll make deposits from your office whenever you want, get critical check information faster, pull activity reports, and search a digital archive for past check items with ease.

To learn more about Solveras programs, follow this link.