NACE International, The Corrosion Society and SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings, two non-profit professional associations in the field of corrosion and coating standards, training, and certification, have initiated exploratory discussions about synergistic opportunities that may exist between the two organizations. The discussions were initiated by the board officers of each organization who recognize the complementary nature of each respective organization’s mission, products, and services. Both boards have approved further evaluation of the concept, and preliminary discussions have been started.  

“NACE and SSPC have a long history together going back to 1950 when SSPC was founded,” says Garry Manous, President of the SSPC Board of Governors. “NACE was part of the initial group, along with AISC and others, that established the original charter for SSPC. Although we’ve competed in some areas in recent years, overall, we share a common goal of bettering society through the development and delivery of education and information that makes the professionals we serve the best they can be. It only makes sense that we explore whether we can better serve our mutual constituencies as partners than as separate organizations.”

“Our organizations have unique strengths and are complementary in many ways,” says Terry Greenfield, President-Elect of NACE International. “This is an opportunity to see if bringing together those strengths makes something that is even better than the sum of the parts. We want to see if coming together will make it easier and better for our stakeholders to find everything they need in one place instead of two, and be sure that they are getting the most comprehensive options available to them.”

Over the next few months NACE and SSPC staff and leadership will convene to discuss possible benefits and challenges of the concept. Both organizations will communicate regularly about progress and further plans.

To receive updates from the associations please email mediarelations@nace.org or news@sspc.org.

Founded in 1943, NACE International, The Corrosion Society is the world’s largest nonprofit of its kind with more than 38,000 members in 130 countries. Based in Houston, Texas, with offices in the U.S., the U.K., China, Malaysia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and a training center in Dubai, the organization serves all industries impacted by corrosion. NACE International provides its membership with numerous benefits and offers the world’s most specified technical training and certification programs, industry standards, reports, conferences, and publications focused on corrosion prevention and mitigation. www.nace.org 

SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings was founded in 1950 as the Steel Structures Painting Council, a non-profit professional society focused on the use of protective coatings to protect industrial steel structures. In 1997, the name of the association was changed to SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings to reflect the evolution of coatings technology and the expanding types of construction materials. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and China, more than 16,000 professionals and 420 companies worldwide carry active SSPC certifications.

Today, SSPC promotes the protection and preservation of concrete, steel, and other industrial and marine structures and surfaces through the use of high-performance protective, marine, and industrial coatings. SSPC is the leading source of training and information on surface preparation, coating selection, coating application, environmental regulations, and health and safety issues that affect the protective coatings industry. www.sspc.org