LAS VEGAS—A diverse range of speakers and technical sessions highlighted the 2024 Polyurethane Manufacturers Association's annual meeting and supplier showcase, conducted over three days in Henderson, Nev., just outside Las Vegas.
"The PMA, now in its 53rd year, remains dedicated to promoting sustainability by advocating for the safe and responsible use and accessibility of the chemicals in our industry," Paul Waite, immediate past president of the PMA, said on April 15.
The conference and processing technical seminar took place from April 14-16 at the sprawling M Resort and Casino.
Indeed, the PMA's initial formation in the early 1970s was a function of the group's battles with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which deemed the curative chemical MOCA as "carcinogenic" in 1973.
More than 50 years later, challenges continue in the efforts to downgrade MOCA to the low-priority list under the U.S. EPA's Toxic Substances Control Act.
Many of the breakout sessions focused on MOCA and the PMA's upcoming May 1 presentation to EPA, during which PMA representatives will argue that the chemical should remain viable, obtainable and usable by the polyurethane industry.
About 300 PMA members and their plus-ones attended this year's conference, which offered the theme, "Leading with Passion."
The conference certainly kicked off with passion, as keynote speaker Troy Nix, president and CEO of First Resource Inc., infused the crowd with an esprit de corps based on stories of his days in the U.S. Army and at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Nix's talk was titled, "Shifting One's Mindset to Win."
Networking, fostering innovation and best practices, as well as breakout sessions on design for manufacturing and the chemistry of PUs, including post-cures, energy savings in PU processes and enhancing performance properties, rounded out the gathering.
