Columns

EDITOR'S MEMO: Taking Care of Business

The June issue of ASI takes a different look at the adhesives and sealants industry. Rather than the usual high-quality technical articles we're known for, this issue takes a different angle: the business side of adhesives and sealants.

Adhesive and sealant raw material prices have been an important subject for some time now. An article from Fred Peters of Probe Economics examines the current state of chemical raw materials and forecasts future prices. See "A Look Ahead" for more.

Daniel Murad, president and CEO of The ChemQuest Group, discusses "Plugging Price and Value Leaks" in our Strategic Solutions department. His column explains how to determine the value of a new product as well as the value leaks that are present in our industry.

ASI Managing Editor Brian Hayes spoke with leaders in the chemical manufacturing industry to discuss corporate responsibility and eco-efficiency. Find out what representatives at Akzo Nobel and Septon Co. of America told us in our "CSR and Eco-Efficiency Forum."

In addition, we're partnering with the Adhesive and Sealant Council to offer a series of Green Adhesives and Green Building web seminars. For more information on green formulating and environmental certification, visit http://www.adhesivesmag.com . To register for a seminar, visit http://www.ascouncil.org/industry/green_regform.cfm .

Sometimes it takes a new way of doing business to bring change to an industry. A group of chemical industry executives with a combined 30 years of experience have announced the creation of Viachem Ltd., a specialty chemical distributor. Viachem sets itself apart from other distributors by signing exclusive agreements with producers of specialty chemicals, and provides its producer partners with proprietary market intelligence to support sales efforts. Learn more in "Chemical Industry Veterans Introduce Viachem."

Bill Blades, a professional speaker and consultant specializing in sales and leadership issues, defines leadership in an article this month. He argues that the ideal leader does not exist, but all good leaders possess certain universal traits. These traits and more are identified in "Leadership Defined."

We round out this issue with our annual Dispensing and Curing Equipment Directory. The directory is an invaluable tool for applicators and end users of adhesives and sealants. The information is organized alphabetically by supplier in an easy-to-use format, with advertisers listed in red. If you would like information about being listed in next year's guide, contact Peg Van Winkle at (614) 760-4222 or e-mail vanwinklep@bnpmedia.com .

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Teresa McPherson was the former Editor of Adhesives & Sealants Industry. She has held several editorial positions during her more than 20 years with BNP Media. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from Eastern Michigan University.