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Best Wishes from SOCMA's Friends

To hear members discuss why SOCMA is the preferred association for the small and medium-sized chemical enterprise, click here.

 

I joined American Chemistry Council in the fall of 2008. During my tenure at ACC, I have valued the close working relationship our organization has with SOCMA. Over the past few years, the chemical industry has faced significant challenges in holding back destructive regulations that would harm our global competitiveness and the collaboration between SOCMA and ACC has been critical to advancing the priorities of the U.S. chemical industry. The GlobalChem conference, jointly sponsored by SOCMA and ACC, provides a valuable service to our members by bringing together government officials and industry representatives to discuss emerging issues. I congratulate SOCMA on its 90th anniversary, and I look forward to strengthening our partnership to better serve the U.S. chemical industry. 

• Cal Dooley, President and CEO, American Chemistry Council

 

We highly value our SOCMA membership. The reason I became interested in SOCMA in the first place was that I have a small chemical operation, and there are a huge number of regulations we have to comply with. We don’t want to be blindsided, and we don’t want to be surprised that we didn’t know about a rule. SOCMA has a wonderful staff that keeps up with absolutely everything that’s going on from a regulatory point of view in the United States. They are a fabulous resource for that kind of thing.

There are all sorts of regulatory filings that SOCMA personnel help us with. They help us keep up with the laws as they’re fought about and as they wind their way through Congress. I get constant messages from departments within SOCMA to indicate what’s being considered, what’s not being considered, and what details are needed for support on this subject. It’s really amazing how they can keep up with those things in the context they have on a Congressional level.

A small company has a limited number of people by definition, so you can’t have a staff that’s dedicated to just keeping up with regulatory compliance, what Congress is doing about chemical companies and what controls they are trying to place on them. It’s much more efficient to become part of a group like SOCMA that can help you with those things.

• Michael Ott, President and CEO, Polysciences, Inc., member for 4 years

 

What we value most at DSM about SOCMA is the wide variety of services that SOCMA provides to us. From government relations to a large number of networking opportunities, we’ve come to rely on SOCMA as a go-to source when we have a government relations or legislative question.

Take government relations, only the biggest companies are able to have a dedicated staff, and yet the SOCMA organization provides that as a service to its membership, providing guidance, coaching and liaison to our legislators.

We really appreciate the networking opportunities because the companies in SOCMA are so varied. We’re able to use those networking opportunities to access a large number of customers as well as suppliers. It’s a very cost-effective way of making all of those contacts.

Congratulations on 90 years! Just think of how the chemical industry has changed over the last 90 years. Ninety years ago, it was just about petroleum refining. Today, it’s about batch chemicals, pharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals and international competition. And over those years, SOCMA has kept track with these changes and trends and has adapted its services to meet the needs of the industry at the time.

• Susan Ostrowski, Senior Director/Marketing and Sales, DSM Pharmaceutical Products, member for 25 years

 

Ash Stevens values its SOCMA membership for three major reasons. One reason is the ChemStewards® program. It provides organizations like Ash Stevens a framework and formal test to ensure that we are complying with environmental health, safety and site security regulations. It gives our employees peace of mind. It gives our customers peace of mind.

We’re very appreciative of the Government Relations work that SOCMA does that affords us insight into what Congress is doing that affects our industry. I participate in the Fly-Ins. It’s good for me to get face time with the people who represent Ash Stevens, and it’s certainly very good, I think, for the elected officials to learn what’s important to our industry. The networking opportunities are spectacular. I’ve met a lot of people who’ve become friends, even though they are friendly competitors. Certainly, the presence of tradeshows such as INFORMEX is a value-add for our Ash Stevens.

SOCMA’s the right trade association for small and mid-size companies.

We’re proud to be part of SOCMA. It’s an organization with a 90-year history. Working in the areas of government relations, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and helping us all meet important people in the industry.

• Stephen A. Munk, President and CEO, Ash Stevens, member for 8 years

 

I have been associated with SOCMA since joining Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN) in 1993 as Managing Editor and then as Editor in Chief. I met the folks at SOCMA through my involvement with covering INFORMEX. 

SOCMA has always been very supportive of the American Chemical Society. It has been gracious in supporting the ACS Scholars Program, which provides gifted minority undergraduates with a competitive scholarship. SOCMA hosts an annual golf outing to raise funds for this event. In addition, SOCMA has partnered with ACS to promote National Chemistry Week and the International Year of Chemistry. I have developed strong ties with the late SOCMA president Joe Acker and with the current SOCMA President Larry Sloan. SOCMA provides truly unique services to its members, and since many of its member companies also employ ACS members, it is wonderful to have a close relationship with SOCMA.

SOCMA is an extraordinary organization serving an important, vital sector of the chemistry enterprise. There is no other organization that fills this niche. It has been a nimble, creative organization, constantly responding to changing times and the changing needs of its members. The American Chemical Society extends its warmest congratulations to SOCMA on its 90th anniversary and wishes it many more successful years!

• Madeleine Jacobs, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, American Chemical Society

 

• It is with great pleasure that I congratulate SOCMA on its 90th year of serving the batch and specialty chemical industry. Our unique relationship with SOCMA stems from each of us representing distinct sectors of the chemical industry. NPRA represents manufacturers of petrochemicals, which serve as building blocks for the world of organic chemistry. SOCMA represents manufacturers of specialty chemicals, which give formulations and finished goods their much sought-after performance characteristics. Many SOCMA members are customers of NPRA members, so our business and policy interests are intertwined.

I want to express my sincere appreciation for your organization and the value it brings to your members. There is a multitude of trade associations in this town, representing so many different interests that it is difficult to stand out. SOCMA stands out. Its advocacy is unique, based on sound science and technical merits, as well as serving as the voice of small chemical enterprises, where innovation and creativity is paramount. The regulatory assistance you provide to your members is invaluable, especially for smaller firms that do not necessarily have a team of regulatory experts for every issue that may arise. As I look to the future, I am confident that our relationship will only strengthen, and I look forward to our organizations continuing to represent critical elements of the manufacturing supply chain. Congratulations, SOCMA!

• Charlie Drevna, President, National Petrochemical & Refiners Association

 

Membership in SOCMA has provided great networking and sales opportunities and has given me an opportunity to interact and help educate elected officials at all levels about our industry and its impact on the U.S. economy.

I have had the opportunity to bring both my teenage sons to SOCMA’s Fly-In that they host each year. As the owner of a private company, I feel strongly that this type of political outreach is part of the informal civics education that I need to give to my children. My boys understand that one must take part in the process to avoid being surprised by results of poorly thought-out and designed legislation when it becomes law or rule. They understand that not all lobbying is 'bad;' it is simply part of the information exchange and education that takes place every day on the Hill. On both occasions it was a great experience for all of us, and the SOCMA staff made my boys feel welcome and very much included in the activities.

Happy anniversary SOCMA!!!

• Steel Hutchinson, President, GFS Chemicals, member for almost 20 years

 

• My fondest memories of being a SOCMA member include the camaraderie of the individuals I’ve met through the association. It all comes back to the people. This is a remarkably small industry. The number of people who have been involved for a long period of time is relatively small. My fondest memories are the individuals.

Best of luck to current staff and members, and I hope we are all here for the 100th anniversary. It’s been a great ride, and hopefully, it will continue.

• Jim DeLisi, President, Fanwood Chemical Inc., member for 35 years

 

 

 

The organic chemical business in the U.S. has been shrinking over the last 20 years. SOCMA has adjusted to provide services to trading companies in the U.S., foreign companies looking to do business in the U.S. and helping companies grow in international business.

I enjoyed my board membership time seeing how an association functions behind the scenes and how the association uses the members’ skills to plot its future. SOCMA’s annual meetings at Hilton Head Island were always very educational and also an enjoyable setting.

Congratulations on the 90th anniversary and thanks for supporting the chemical industry, a very important part of the U.S. economy.

• Steve Schmidt, Regional Purchasing Director-Pigments, Sun Chemical Corporation, member for more than 30 years

 

"I was on the INFORMEX Committee most of the time it existed, including serving as chairman for three years. INFORMEX was the preeminent U.S. trade show 10 to 15 years ago. Basically, attendance was growing at that time, and it was the trade show that everybody had to go to."

Needleman also has fond memories of the show moving to Las Vegas and the attendance expanding to 4,000. He was also glad to see INFORMEX move back to New Orleans to help with the city’s resurgence after Hurricane Katrina.

"The other memory is the friendships that I’ve made through SOCMA. They are friendships that will last forever. We don’t do business together, but we’re just friends. When my wife threw me a 50th birthday party, some of the friends I made through SOCMA came.

As for the 90th anniversary – Anything that’s 90 years old has got to be congratulated. Anything that evolved over 90 years and adapted to the times and under new leadership is impressive. SOCMA still has a need and a customer base and meets the needs of the members it serves. Members are the key to success for everything."

• Stuart Needleman, President, Scientific Operations, Aptuit, member for 25 years

 

SOCMA stands out from other trade associations because while representing its entire membership for advocacy and chemical regulations, it also offers members individualized support. Networking through SOCMA has also provided many business opportunities.

Some of my fondest memories since becoming a SOCMA member include developing great friendships through the many board meetings over the years and selling INFORMEX, which enabled SOCMA to gain solid financial stakes and allowed SOCMA to focus on its primary reasons for being a trade association.

SOCMA’s 90th anniversary is an amazing accomplishment, and I hope SOCMA is as strong as ever for the 100th anniversary.

• Charlie Hinnant, Immediate Past Chair of the SOCMA Board of Governors and President, Optima Chemical Group, member for 25 years

 

• For 90 years, SOCMA has worked tirelessly and fearlessly on behalf of the batch, custom and specialty chemicals industry. The American Cleaning Institute (formerly the Soap and Detergent Association) is proud to work with SOCMA and its members on priority issues of mutual concern. ACI congratulates SOCMA on its 90th Anniversary and looks forward to many years of allied efforts on behalf of the chemical industry supply chain.

• Ernie Rosenberg, President & CEO, American Cleaning Institute

 

 

 

 

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If you have a testimonial or an anecdote you would like to share, please email Jenny Gaines or call (202) 721-4123.

 

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