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Managing Complexity: Strategies for Achieving Clarity in Complex Operations
by Daniel Murad, CEO
It is a complex undertaking to produce raw materials, specialty chemicals, and formulated products. Even with a strong team working together with the best intentions, this complexity often results in avoidable challenges and even setbacks. Over the course of my career, I’ve seen many companies struggle with complexity-related issues involving a lack of clear direction or inefficient operations — all of which steal from your company’s bottom line and stifle long-term growth.
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You are invited to join us for what has become a must-attend event at the American Coatings Show - the ChemQuest reception!
May 5, 2026 | 5-8 p.m.
The House Room | Westin Indianapolis
We are especially looking forward to a celebration this year of our 50th anniversary. As we look back on five decades of driving profitable growth in the coatings industry, we are truly grateful for the trust of our clients and industry partners.
Please join our team and other coatings industry colleagues for this special evening of insightful conversation and collaboration over a cocktail and light fare.
| | As practitioners in specialty chemicals and formulated products, our team brings extensive industry relationships, knowledge, and expertise to help you gain competitive advantage. We challenge established thinking to drive transformation, providing you with a customized growth strategy that includes distinctive, targeted, substantial, and actionable improvements. | | Many of our team members have written articles for various global industry publications. Recent topics include mergers and acquisitions in the adhesives and sealants sector and the European chemicals industry crisis, to name just two. You are invited to peruse the selection below and explore the full library. | |
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M&A: Shaping the Adhesives Landscape
by Julie Vaughn Biege
The adhesives and sealants industry has historically been an attractive space for investment. The substitution of mechanical fasteners with adhesives, bonding of new substrate materials, changes in packaging materials and design, and growth in medical and electronics (including new formats in wearables) all drive innovation, growth, and new needs in the market. Companies have reconsidered their strategies and shifted their portfolios, and the competitive landscape has undergone many changes over the last couple of decades.
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Industry Q&A: Sustainability
by Wayne Daniell, Ph.D.
What role will formulation innovation play in advancing sustainability? Historically, sustainability and performance have often been seen as trade-offs. Do you believe that tension is narrowing, and why? How important is lifecycle thinking when determining whether a coating is truly sustainable? How can collaboration across the value chain accelerate progress toward shared sustainability goals? Wayne Daniell, Ph.D., answers these questions - and more.
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Achieving Durability through Powder Coating
by Geoff Webster, Ph.D.
Durability can take on a variety of meanings in different applications. For some, it may mean exceptional corrosion and chemical resistance in the environment where the coating will be used. For other applications, durability may mean exceptional flexibility and abrasion resistance. In still others, it also frequently means exceptional weathering resistance. The truth is, for most applications, “durability” is a combination of these properties.
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Europe's Tumultuous Chemicals Industry
by Philip Marsh and Wayne Daniell, Ph.D.
Europe’s chemical sector is entering a period of accelerating decline, with ageing infrastructure, high energy costs, and aggressive global expansion elsewhere eroding competitiveness. Whereas the news headlines have focussed so far on the plant closures, the greater underlying fear is of a detrimental domino effect, not only within the chemicals supply chain but extending into downstream industries.
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| | The ChemQuest team will provide their insights at several key industry events in the coming months. We invite you to attend and join the discussions. | | |
Pittsburgh Society for Coatings Technology
April 13 | Pittsburgh, Pa.
On April 13, Crystal Morrison, Ph.D., will discuss “Global Coatings Industry Outlook and Trends ” for the Pittsburgh Society for Coatings Technology (PSCT).
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ASC Annual
Convention & Expo
April 20-22 | Nashville, Tenn.
James Swope will give a presentation entitled “Polyhedral Graphene Enhances Conductivity of Adhesive” on April 21 at the Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) Convention & Expo.
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Canadian Coatings Conference 2026
May 20-21 | Toronto, Canada
On May 21, Daniel Murad will discuss “Coating the Future and Navigating Change - Market Dynamics Influencing Growth Strategies for the Canadian and American Coatings Industry” during the Canadian Coatings Conference.
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We also hope to see you at these upcoming events:
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Manufacturing & Automation eXchange – Nashville, Tenn., March 25-26
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in-cosmetics Global – Paris, France, April 14-16
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PaintEXPO – Karlsruhe, Germany, April 14-17
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American Coatings Show – Indianapolis, Ind., May 5-7
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ChemSpec Europe – Cologne, Germany, May 6-7
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Dealmakers Cleveland – Cleveland, Ohio, May 13
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Private Equity New York Forum – New York, N.Y., May 13
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ChemQuest serves as the exclusive partner of Fraunhofer IFAM in North America. If your customers require certification or your team could benefit from adhesives training and knowledge, the hybrid European Adhesive Specialist course kicks off April 14.
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Fraunhofer IFAM European Adhesive Specialist (EAS)
The EAS course blends three weeks of remote learning and one week of in-person sessions at our facility in South Boston, Va. Graduates of this advanced course will be able to take on supervisory functions, prepare work instructions, and make contributions to quality assurance aspects of bonding technology.
Course Schedule:
- Week 1 (online): April 14-17
- Week 2 (online): May 4-8
- Week 3 (online): May 18-22
- Week 4 (in person): June 1-5
Course Overview > | Register Now >
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Since its founding in 1976, ChemQuest has assisted hundreds of clients in thousands of projects and special assignments to identify and implement strategies that enable long-term profitable growth. At its beginning, the company served principally as a provider of market research studies. Today, ChemQuest holds the unique position of trusted partner to clients all along the specialty chemicals and formulated products value chain.
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Edward Johnson is a pragmatic strategist with decades of experience leading strategy and acquisition projects for global corporations. Over the course of his career, he built expertise in the development and implementation of corporate and business unit strategies, leadership of acquisition activities (including target identification, evaluation, approach, and execution), support of multinational clients on market entry and growth strategy, and assessment of market attractiveness and competitive positioning.
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