Since 2002, O’Donnell has been an advocate for NACD and its members. He has been an active participant and contributor to the success of NACD members. O’Donnell and his company built a software solution specifically for the chemical industry, providing complete visibility and precise control over all operations from manufacturing and distribution to inventory and customer management. O’Donnell was recognized for his support and dedication to chemical distribution for 20 years with the Affiliate Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lynne Bukovic of TransChemical was named the 2021 Distributor of the Year for her welcoming and inclusive character as a leader in a tight-knit industry, for her effervescent fortitude in the NACD board room, and for her dedication to NACD on numerous fronts. She has been an active advocate for NACD over the last decade, always working to talk to regulators and legislators about issues impacting chemical distribution. She also worked to grow involvement in the association by recommending new companies join and encouraging her peers to volunteer in the organization.

Steve Seeler of Seeler Industries was also named a 2021 Distributor of the Year. Seeler has been involved with NACD for many years as a committee member and chairman, primarily in the government advocacy arena. He is a regular participant of the Washington Fly-In, directly contributing to positive policy changes for the chemical distribution industry. Most recently, he has been a spokesperson for the industry on the challenges with the shipping crisis and the downstream impacts on distributors, their customers and consumers. A leader in the industry, Seeler has mentored many peers on regulatory compliance issues and Responsible Distribution.

President Pete Downing and Vice President Rachelle Alexander of Environmental & Safety Solutions Inc., Hightstown, New Jersey, received the NACD Affiliates of the Year award. Downing and Alexander have many years of experience in meeting environment, health and safety obligations, and are committed to assisting NACD members with their regulatory compliance and Responsible Distribution programs. They work hard to understand the unique needs of chemical distribution companies, and develop and apply the best possible solution.

NACD announced two recipients of the Employee of the Year award for 2021. As the association celebrates the 30^th anniversary of NACD’s Responsible Distribution program, it honored two individuals who have been paramount to the program’s success over the last decade, namely Michael Lang, Vice President of Education and Member Programs, and Caroline Brooks, Director, Responsible Distribution. Lang has led the program since 2007 with dedication, vision and tenacity for member success. Brooks joined NACD in 2016 and over the last five years has enhanced member resources and training programs.

ARLINGTON, VA – The National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) announced the winners of its Lifetime Achievement Award, Distributor of the Year Award, Affiliate of the Year Award, and Employee of the Year Award during the last day of the association’s 2021 Annual Meeting.

Thomas Corcoran, Senior Vice President, Global Key Accounts at Brenntag S.E., a NACD Distributor Member, and Sean O’Donnell, Chairman of Datacor Inc., a NACD Service Provider Affiliate, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Corcoran has been an active member of the association with growing responsibilities for 25 years. He served on committees and the board during many of those years. As Chairman of the Board, Corcoran brought his business acumen to NACD, leading the board’s focus on membership value and growth as well as increasing member engagement in numerous programs. He enhanced NACD’s partnerships within the industry and globally. Corcoran was recognized for his dedication, and hundreds of hours of care and commitment to the leadership of NACD with the Distributor Lifetime Achievement Award.

NACD Names Recipients of 2021 Awards

GDB International Acquires Paint Manufacturing Plant

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – Paint recycler GDB International Inc. has acquired a paint manufacturing plant in the United States. The plant is fully automated and equipped to manufacture both water-based and solvent-based paint. The plant’s large production capacity of five million gallons per year adds to the company’s existing production capacity, allowing GDB to further expand its markets. Starting Dec. 1, 2021, the manufacturing plant will largely help local communities by providing employment to 65 employees (running two shifts per day) and will also contribute to GDB's future innovations, allowing the company to develop a wider variety of environmentally safer products.

American Chemistry Council Recognized for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion

WASHINGTON – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) received the American Society of Association Executives’ (ASAE) “Power of A” Silver Award, for its commitment to enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the chemical industry under the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI). FOSSI is a collaborative initiative between ACC, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), The Chemours Co. and the HBCU Week Foundation. It is dedicated to reducing financial barriers for students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). The association industry’s highest honor, the “Power of A” awards recognize extraordinary contributions and efforts to enrich lives, create a more competitive workforce, drive innovation, and make a better world.

Launched in 2020 with a first-year goal of underwriting 150 scholars, FOSSI has exceeded that goal with the support of more than 40 ACC members and related industry stakeholders. To date, FOSSI has raised more than $11 million and sponsored 151 scholarships.

“Congratulations for exemplifying the impact associations have on the industries and professions they represent, and on society at large,” said ASAE President & CEO Susan Robertson, CAE. “It’s always so incredibly satisfying to see associations going above and beyond their everyday mission to change the world. We’re very proud to spotlight this award-winning initiative.

FOSSI is a national, chemical industry-wide scholarship program that provides students $40,000 scholarships and connects them to leadership development, mentoring and internship opportunities at sponsoring companies.

“FOSSI illustrates the impact collaborative, industry-wide initiatives can have on the lives of communities of color that have historically been overlooked and underrepresented. I hope this initiative can serve as a model for other associations to help advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the workforce and nationwide,” said ACC President and CEO Chris Jahn.

CBC Launches Campaign for Antimicrobial Material Preservatives

WASHINGTON – The Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC) recently announced the launch of a new campaign focusing on antimicrobial material preservatives to highlight how these chemistries contribute to economic and environmental sustainability by enhancing the durability and lifespan of products and materials.

The campaign will call attention to how antimicrobial material preservatives promote responsible consumption and economic practices by reducing waste and the need for replacement products. It will also go beyond just their contributions to sustainability and emphasize how material preservatives strengthen and fortify products and materials.

The material preservatives campaign will illustrate how integral material preservatives are to meeting sustainability goals, such as those of the United Nations, across a wide range of industries. It will include the creation of a new suite of information resources, housed on both CBC’s and Good Chemistry Lives Here’s (GCLH) websites, which will cover how material preservatives help strengthen products across numerous market sectors.

“Material preservatives are so critical to enhancing products that we use every day, yet their economic and environmental benefits often fly under the radar,” said CBC Executive Director Komal K. Jain. “This campaign aims to showcase not only how these versatile chemistries help promote sustainability, but how they enhance our everyday lives in ways that often go unnoticed.”

Along with their presence in common consumer goods, the CBC campaign will also illustrate the degree to which antimicrobial material preservatives are used in industry and manufacturing applications. For example, these chemistries are used to extend the life of industrial coatings, railroad ties, and utility poles, and treated wood is commonly used to build piers, docks, and marina structures.

New Lux Research Report Dives into the Future of Lab Research

BOSTON – Momentum for digital technologies in lab research is growing and was further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing teams to rapidly adopt digital tools and rethink their current processes, according to new data from Lux Research, a leading provider of tech-enabled research and innovation advisory services.

Visions for the lab of the future have evolved over the past few decades, and while individual instruments and processes have benefited from digital tools like automation and analytics, lab research has changed far less than many would have predicted. However, with an increasingly broad and powerful digital toolkit that includes tools like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, the lab of the future – one that is significantly more automated, efficient and effective – may be closer to reality. After an initial wave of hype and activity in the late 1990s, innovation interest in applying digital tools to the lab plateaued for nearly a decade. However, starting around 2013, there has been a steady growth in innovation interest, showing that the space may be in a phase where it could lead to a significant impact.

While there are many digital use cases and technologies available to enhance lab research, they fall into three broad categories:

• Modeling and Informatics – Using modeling and informatics tools like machine learning to accelerate the development and discovery process. Example: Using machine learning to model and predict polymer properties to shorten the overall polymer design time.
• Knowledge Management – Systematically capturing, analyzing and distributing knowledge throughout an R&D organization. Example: Using natural language processing to sift through the published literature to identify efficient reaction pathways.
• Lab Automation – Automating physical experimentation through robotics as well as data collection and lab management through IoT and connected sensors. Example: Using robotics to enable high-throughput testing and screening of materials.

"While each category has its own defining features, there is overlap and synergy between the categories," explained Cole McCollum, Analyst at Lux Research and lead author of the report. "For example, lab automation can be used to collect experimental data, which can then be fed into informatics systems to ultimately generate knowledge."

While innovation and R&D consist of many activities, Lux's new report, The Lab of the Future, specifically dives deeper into lab research and takes a fresh look at where the key digital developments are occurring. These digital solutions come at a time when industries that make heavy use of lab research, such as chemicals and pharmaceuticals, continue to face declining productivity on top of new challenges like rising costs, environmental factors, long development cycles, and information overload.