Leaders from NACE International and The Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC) recently convened to hold further discussion about options and approaches to combining the organizations to mutually benefit the members of both organizations. Deemed a success by NACE International President Terry Greenfield and SSPC President Garry Manous, the meeting led to multiple positive outcomes.

Prior to discussions, NACE and SSPC hosted an association CEO who has experience completing multiple mergers. He shared useful lessons learned and advice, which helped set a productive tone for the meeting. The organizations also teleconferenced with a program manager who is being considered as a facilitator for conversations with members and other stakeholders to gather feedback and input to ensure all perspectives are considered and to accelerate the process of decision-making.

During the meeting, the participants from NACE and SSPC worked together to create a timeline for moving forward with the goal of having a membership vote by the second quarter of 2020. In the meantime, both organizations will provide informational webinars and small group information sessions prior to the vote to enable members to have a thorough understanding of what is involved in any cooperative relationship between the two organizations.

Team members also discussed potential governance models and transition plans., The representatives from both organizations left the meeting optimistic and agreed to continuing regularly scheduled phone calls and a second face to face meeting later this summer. Manous and Greenfield agreed that they are most excited by the way the integration team is working closely together and prioritizing doing what is right for the industries and members served by NACE and SSPC.

While both organizations report that their major stakeholders have provided positive feedback thus far, they are committed to seeking as much input as possible. Individuals are asked to provide comments to cooperation@nace.org and news@sspc.org.

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About NACE International

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

ABOUT SSPC

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.