The ChemQuest Group Newsletter - Q1 2022
A New Year and New Opportunities
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With reflection back to the beginning of 2022, we can comment that the year is off to a busy start. Attending conferences and trade shows, visiting with clients, international and domestic business travel ... in some ways it feels like we never skipped a beat. Read below to meet the newest associates who joined us in Q1 2022, supplementing an already diverse team with additional expertise in M&A and manufacturing, two areas of our practice experiencing strong growth.
ChemQuest appreciates the invitations we receive to provide editorial content, both in featured articles and monthly columns, to a variety pf publications. We highlight just some of the more robust articles within our newsletter.
Another highlight to mention this quarter: Dan Murad moderated an interesting panel of industry executives specific to coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers, organized by Univar, the “Innovation Summit, The CASE for Sustainability”, was held on February 24. Look for a link to that conversation below.
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Welcome New Associates to ChemQuest |
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Mr. Bradley Boelkins has joined ChemQuest as Vice-President, after a successful 33-year career with tesa tape, inc, a leading manufacturer of adhesive tape solutions. In his most recent executive role as Director of Operations/M&A, Brad was responsible for North American M&A buy-side activity where he strategically identified and engaged potential acquisition targets which led to multiple acquisitions. In addition, Brad is fluent in German having served as tesa's Global Business Unit Head while living in Hamburg. Brad has deep experience in vision, strategy, and implementation of business goals including oversight of production, quality, and supply chain operations.
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Mr. Robert G. Kramer has joined ChemQuest as Director, bringing decades of specialty chemical manufacturing operations, financial and sales experience. Most recently, Bob was President at rose plastic USA, wherein he was responsible for the overall financials and operations for North America. With expertise in lean operations management, Bob holds a Six Sigma green belt. Bob's expertise in manufacturing operations, process optimization, and business development, will aid in the expansion of ChemQuest’s Manufacturing Excellence pillar.
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Dan Murad: YouTube Sensation |
We've gone viral! Watch our CEO, Daniel Murad on CNBC, where he leads the discussion on the current paint and pigment industry amid threatening shortages, climate change, and supply chain impacts. Kudos to Dan for your insight and commentary.
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"Understanding the Chemical Industry and Current Industry Challenges for Coatings and Adhesives",
a two-part series in PCI magazine
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In a two part article in PCI Magazine, "Understanding the Chemical Industry and Current Industry Challenges for Coatings and Adhesives" senior consultant Michael Rezai provides an overview of the challenges facing the coatings industry as the new year began.
"Chemical businesses have spent the last two years "fighting fires" as COVID-19 put the industry's resilience to the test - dealing with supply-chain disruptions, greater feedstock volatility, shifting customer behavior and rising costs of doing business. As of the writing of part two, another black swan event has added to global concerns – the invasion by Russia into Ukraine."
Rezai examines the effects of the Ukraine conflict among other headwinds still being experienced, and points towards the changes necessary to remain successful this decade.
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Dr. Cynthia Gosselin wrote, "Carbon Coatings Capture" (page 21), a deep dive into the sustainability component of coatings innovation. Read this article for a how and why paint and coatings provide an excellent opportunity to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gasses.
Expanding on a different component of sustainability efforts, Dr. Victoria Scarborough's article, "Coatings Innovations for Electric Vehicles" (page 59) explores how electric vehicles will expand the coatings market. From EV components to necessary infrastructure enhancements, as EV becomes more mainstream there will be an increased demand for coatings and innovation in the coatings space.
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The March edition of Coatings Tech featured an article from George Pilcher interviewing powder coating industry expert and president of ChemQuest Powder Coating Research, Kevin Biller, "A Look into the Future of Powder Coatings: An Interview with Industry Expert Joe Powder" (Page 36).
Also in the March edition, is another article from Cynthia Gosselin, "Exploring and Comparing Factory-applied and Field-applied Coatings" (Page 56). As the title suggests, Dr. Gosselin explores the advantages of different coating methods, and how these processes have developed and changed over time.
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Leading Important Industry Conversations |
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ChemQuest CEO Dan Murad moderated Univar Solutions’s #CASEforSustainability webinar on February 24, filled with industry leaders discussing: the meaning of sustainability, how they are incorporating new ESG standards, and increased consumer demand towards sustainable products and practices.
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Our Chief Commercial Officer, Jim Swope participated in Adhesives & Sealants Industry Magazine's 2022 Raw Materials and Chemicals Roundtable. Read the full article to see Jim and others from the adhesives and sealants industry insights from the past couple of years' trials and tribulations. Jim answers questions from supply chain management, to R&D efforts, to strategies moving forward.
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Journal of Protective Coatings & Linings Advisory Board member and ChemQuest Vice President of Business Development, Edye Fox Abrams, expressed her opinion on the future of the protective coatings industry in the Perspectives column of the February 2022 issue. "An industry that finds itself at a crossroads when it comes to finding protection solutions for America's crumbling infrastructure."
Read the entire article here
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Educational Courses at ChemQuest |
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ChemQuest Powder Coating Research held the first 2022 "PC Kitchen – Introduction to Powder Coating Formulating" March 2-3 in their Columbus, OH facility. A diverse group of experience levels representing many segments of the industry participated. One participant commented "Thanks for hosting our team! As a powder newbie, I learned quite a bit I can take back and better interact with my team. Look forward to seeing you in the future!"
Our next class will be "PC Kitchen – Advanced Formulating Techniques" on May 17-18, 2022. Registration is now open, only 5 spots remain.
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ChemQuest is the exclusive co-operation partner of Fraunhofer IFAM for EAB-European Adhesive Bonder and EAS-Specialist Courses in North America.
Held the week of March 28, the Adhesive Bonder training course gave participants an understanding of the technical aspects and importance of executing work procedures properly through hands-on and classroom training. The course provides a fundamental knowledge of adhesive bonding, allowing the special aspects of adhesive bonding processes to be understood and taken into account in production.
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What's Next For ChemQuest? |
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TraQrTM - ChemQuest's Interactive Global Industry and Macroeconomic Forecasting Dashboard.
Interested in a demo? Let us know!
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To see up-to-date information on the specialty chemicals industry and ChemQuest news,
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The ChemQuest Group, Inc. | (513) 469-7555
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