NACE International, SSPC Consider Merger

(P&GJ) – NACE International and The Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC) said they have continued discussions of a potential merger and will ask their members to vote on the matter within a year.

In a joint announcement, NACE and SSPC said their leaders "recently convened to hold further discussion about options and approaches to combining the organizations to mutually benefit the members of both organizations." The meeting was deemed a success and led to multiple positive outcomes, according to NACE President Terry Greenfield and SSPC President Garry Manous.

"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," according to the joint announcement.  "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."

Prior to discussions, NACE and SSPC said they 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," they said.

In addition to discussing potential governance models and transition plans, participants also teleconferenced with a program manager who is being considered as a facilitator to ensure the perspectives of all members and other stakeholders are considered.

"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," the groups announced. "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."

Both organizations report that their major stakeholders have provided positive feedback thus far, but said they are committed to seeking as much input as possible. They asked individuals to provide comments via email to cooperation@nace.org and news@sspc.org.

Founded in 1943, Houston-based NACE, "The Worldwide Corrosion Authority," is the largest nonprofit of its kind, with more than 38,000 members in 130 countries.  With offices in the U.K., China, Malaysia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and a training center in Dubai, the organization serves all industries impacted by corrosion. NACE offers technical training and certification programs, industry standards, reports, conferences, and publications focused on corrosion prevention and mitigation.

Pittsburgh-based SSPC 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. With offices in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and China, more than 16,000 professionals and 420 companies worldwide carry active SSPC certifications.

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