OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian Paint and Coatings Association (CPCA) held its 105^th Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Toronto on May 23-24. At the meeting, eight new members were elected to the CPCA Board of Directors. The full board slate for 2018–19 includes André Buisson (Société Laurentide), Bruce Clatworthy (A.R. Monteith), Doug Crabb (Duha Group), Andy Doyle (American Coatings Association), Mark Huisman (BASF Canada), Brent Jamieson (Axalta Coating Systems), Curt Kaucher (Sherwin-Williams), Sharon Kelly (KelCoatings), Darrin Nobel (Home-Hardware Beauti-Tone), Vince Rea (PPG Canada), Jeff Snyder (AkzoNobel), JF Tanguay (L.V. Lomas), Richard Tremblay (Benjamin Moore), Fred Veghelyi (OPC Polymers Canada) and Tim Vogel (Cloverdale Paint).

“The CPCA Board of Directors strikes a great balance of new and returning members, all of whom bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table,” said Vogel, CEO of Cloverdale Paint and Chair of the CPCA Board. “CPCA has embarked on a new three-year strategic plan focused on growth, and to achieve excellence in regulatory development and compliance, product stewardship, strategic communications, and organizational effectiveness. The board is well equipped to support CPCA in their advocacy efforts for fair and effective regulations to help strengthen industry competitiveness while safeguarding human health and the environment.”

The 2018 conference, entitled “Challenges of Sustainable Industry,” included a program focused on innovation and sustainability initiatives enhancing the paint and coatings industry, such as research into biobased polymers, ecologically responsible finishings, engineering product sustainability and the importance of biocides in coatings. Conference delegates also engaged in discussions on circular economy initiatives, regulatory alignment, product stewardship and the regulatory challenges to sustainable manufacturing.

The 2018 annual Chair Industry Awards Dinner was held at the Hockey Hall of Fame, where key individuals were recognized for their contributions to the Canadian paint and coatings industry. CPCA’s highest honor, the Roy Kennedy Outstanding Achievement Award, was presented to Pete Wilkinson, Publisher of Canadian Finishing and Coatings Manufacturing Magazine (CFCM).

The Industry Achievement Award was presented to Erik Bos (Sansin Corp.), Chris Currie (John E. Goudey Manufacturing Ltd.), Steve Sides (American Coatings Association) and Eric Vaillancourt (CANLAK). This award is presented to an individual or an organization that has demonstrated exceptional achievement in advancing the interests of the industry and the association’s objectives.

In addition, The Industry Statesman Award was presented to outstanding individuals who are retiring from their respective employers but have made a significant contribution to their respective companies and the industry. These are Jeff Danneman (REICHHOLD), Rennie Herry (Goudey), Laura Johnston (Axalta), Ed Linton (Cloverdale Paint), Ron Nakamura (PPG Canada), Jean-Marc Pigeon (Inortech), Jean-Guy Rosa (PPG Canada) and Ed Thompson (L.V. Lomas).