A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
2024 annual meeting
ANNUAL MEETING
mnyca SCHOLARSHIP awards 2024
family dat at the ballpark
american coatings show + conference
MEMBER SPOTLIGHTs
welcome new members
2024 mnyca golf outing
MNYCA EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Alicia Colacci, MNYCA President
‘WITH A RICH HISTORY AND A BRIGHT FUTURE’
MNYCA members,
We have reached the end of the executive board’s current term. While the year seemed to fly by, I believe we made progress setting goals for future association initiatives. This year we have been hard at work trying to ensure a bright future for the organization and we are off to a good start.
The website has been revamped and updated frequently along with more consistent use of LinkedIn to share communications with the paints and coatings community overall. Plans are underway to return to live technical forums, among other events and ways to network with our members.
The annual meeting was held at The Highlawn, West Orange, NJ on May 15th where the new board slate for 2024-2025 was presented to the members. I am happy to say that it consists of longstanding members as well as new members, who can share some new insights. I have no doubt that under the leadership of our incoming president, John Messina, this organization will continue to thrive. He brings a refreshing perspective that will surely guide us to even greater heights.
Already scheduled for 2024 is the golf outing at Neshanic Valley on June 18th and a family day of Patriots Baseball on July 24th, along with a beautiful new venue for the Holiday Party, at the Liberty House in Jersey City on November 21st, 2024.
I want to express my sincere appreciation to our board members, whose tireless efforts provided invaluable guidance and support. A special thank you goes out to our dedicated members who actively participated in events, volunteered their time, and shared their ideas. It has been an honor to serve as President and I look forward to remaining involved and supporting the MNYCA as Chairman.
The association thrives on your active participation. Let us continue this momentum and make an even greater impact!
Warm regards,
Alicia Colacci, President MNYCA
2024 Annual meeting
This year’s annual meeting was held on May 15th at the Highlawn in West Orange NJ. Attendees enjoyed a cocktail hour followed by the annual meeting, and then a delicious dinner and dessert were served. Scholarship awards were presented. The new board slate for 2024-2025 was also presented to the members. It was a great night catching up and enjoying time with friends in the industry!
MNYCA SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
MNYCA Scholarships - 2024
MNYCA is proud to announce our 2024 scholarship winners.
Each winner was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. The Michael A. Granito Memorial Scholarship is for graduating high school seniors who are either entering into college or a trade school. The MNYCA Scholarship for College Students is for matriculating students. They are entitled to receive this one time.
Michael A. Granito Memorial Scholarship Award:
Daniella Penny
Daughter of Tom Penny, Senior R&D Group Manager at Benjamin Moore in Flanders, NJ. She has been accepted to Drew, Quinnipiac, Hofstra, and Manhattan College and is looking to work in the field of Anthropology.
Jasmine Mudhar
Daughter of Rajinder Mudhar, Microbiologist at Arxada in Florham Park, NJ. She is looking to do an undergraduate technical degree and eventually go to medical school. She has been accepted to Case Western Reserve, Temple, and NJIT.
Sydney Lesniewski
Daughter of Stan Lesniewski, President of Synray in Kenilworth, NJ. She is interested in world travel and plans to major in International Business. She has been accepted to The University of Delaware, University of Rhode Island, and George Washington University.
MNYCA Scholarship for College Students:
Evan Grskovic
Son of Daniel Grskovic, President of WAB US Corp in Allendale, NJ. He is studying Business at Rutgers Business School in New Brunswick and is looking to go into Supply Chain Management. He is currently on the Dean’s list with a 3.6 GPA.
Skylar Sturniolo
Daughter of Charles Dicomo, Colorants Business Manager at UMC in Lyndhurst, NJ. She is in her third year studying Nursing at Quinnipiac University and was on the Dean’s list in her freshman and sophomore years.
Family Day at the Ball Park
July 24th, 2024 – 11 AM
TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater, NJ
Somerset Patriots v. Portland Sea Dogs! July 24, 2024 Diamond Club Buffet 11:00 am – 1:00 pm First Pitch 11:05 AM
The MNYCA is again holding the Family Day at the Ball Park event. It is a great time to not only mingle with fellow industry colleagues, but also to bring the whole family to the park. TD Bank Ballpark is family-friendly and affordable! Last year was a success and still talked about by attendees!
american coatings show + conference
From Coatings World:
As the 2024 American Coatings Show and Conference came to a close, show organizers, attendees and exhibitors reported that for the most part, the show was a success.
The show, which is coordinated by AC Media, in collaboration with the American Coatings Association (ACA) and Vincentz Network, ran from April 30-May 2 at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. Show organizers reported that there were 588 exhibitors spread over 138,800 square feet of exhibit space. All total, there were more than 9,000 total participants, including exhibitors and conference attendees.
The concurrent American Coatings Conference (ACC) featured 96 selected presentations, clustered in 16 sessions. The ACA reported that the conference drew 931 attendees from 29 countries. Click for full article in Coatings World
Scenes from the 2024 American Coatings Show:
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Paint Over Rust Products, LLC (P.O.R. Products) 100 Years Strong
P.O.R. Products is a leader in rust preventive and metal specialty coatings. It was founded in 1923 by Mort Rosenthal and Jim Ledwith, using the descriptive name Woodfinishing Products Inc. It was based in Hunts Point, a section of the Bronx, NY, and quickly moved to a larger facility in the East Bronx. The primary product was shellac, sold under the Absolute brand name, used for priming walls and finishing hardwood floors. Most of the products were sold directly to paint and hardware stores in the metro New York area. Through the 1920s and 1930s the company focused on catering to a large market for shellac that existed before the introduction of alkyd paints. In the 1930s, Woodfinishing Products expanded their reach by hiring reps in other states and grew sales across the United States, despite the challenges of the depression and limited growth. During the 1940s the company was classified as an essential industry during WWII. Shellac was used by the government in large quantities as a waterproofing agent on canvas field tents and as an indicator on munitions.
After the war and into the late 50s the market for shellac was slowing. Alkyd wall primers were growing and showed improved performance in many areas and hurt shellac sales. Woodfinishing Products aggressively moved into a twostep distribution model and working with buying groups. This tactic worked well and showed another avenue of growth for the company and set the path for its selling strategy for years to come. They also entered the private label market through relationships with The Sherwin Williams Co. and Sears Roebuck.
By the mid 1960s, Woodfinishing Products was one of the first companies to market polyurethane varnish as a new and very effective way to protect wood floors. The success of Last-n-Last became widely brand recognized across the United States. Eventually the company discontinued shellac and focused on polyurethane based chemistry. The company name changed to Absolute Coatings to better express the direction of the company and product portfolio.
In the 1990s, the company moved to a larger facility in New Rochelle, NY, with 50,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing and office space on two acres of land. At that time Absolute Coatings became the toll producer of POR-15, a specialty paint designed to protect rusted metal surfaces, marketed to automotive customers as a restoration and corrosion prevention coating. POR-15 has grown to become a leader in the restoration market.
In 2016, the wood flooring side of the business was sold, along with the Absolute Coatings brand name. The company was renamed Paint Over Rust Products, LLC (P.O.R. Products) to reflect its focus on specialty metal coatings for heavy industrial equipment, agricultural machines, and automotive restorations around the world. The company continues to adapt to changing markets by increasing its sales reach to Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East, and recently has launched its Auto Refinish division American Icon Finishes brand, focusing on clear coats and primers for the automotive refinish market.
In 2021 after 98 years of family ownership, the company was sold to H.I.G. Capital and became a subsidiary of Recochem out of Montreal Canada.
In 2023, the company celebrated its 100th year as a coating manufacturer in the metro New York area. It remains proud to continue the traditions laid out by its founders and provide world-class products for its customers.
welcome our newest members to mnyca
We would like to welcome our newest member companies to the MNYCA. As you attend our upcoming events, such as the Annual Meeting, the Golf Outing or the ACS, please make it a point to introduce yourself and your company to the new members.
Momentive Performance Materials
Robert Schmeltzer
Pearl River, NY
National Packaging Services
Michael Verzaleno
Secaucus, NJ
Elementis
Chris Sieto
East Windsor, NJ
Grain Processing Corporation
Matteo Riello
Ewing, NJ
2024 MNYCA Golf Outing
The MNYCA annual golf outing is coming up quickly on:
Tuesday, June 18th, 2024! The outing will be held at the Neshanic Valley Golf course in Branchburg, NJ.
AGENDA
Registration Opens - 11 AM
Lunch Buffet – 11:30 AM
Shot Gun Start – 1 PM
Reception, Awards, Prizes – 6 PM
MNYCA EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE
MNYCA provides an opportunity for member companies to post links to your company job board on the MNYCA website. Several have already taken advantage of this benefit of membership. We encourage all our member companies to post a link to their jobs page as part of their recruitment strategy. Please send your requests to patty.paletto@mnyca.org.
If you have any employees who are need of new employment, we encourage them to send their resume to patty.paletto@mnyca.org. MNYCA aids in placing people with member companies looking to fill open positions.
In addition to this service, MNYCA is working to make our industry more visible to local colleges and universities and encouraging new graduates to consider the Coatings industry as a career.
If your company would like to be more involved, please contact Bob Whiteley at rwhiteley@jns-smithchem.com.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Golf Outing -Tuesday - June 18th, 2024 Neshanic Valley Golf Course, 2301 South Branch Rd, Neshanic Station, NJ 08853 Agenda: Registration opens 11 a.m. Lunch Buffet 11:30 a.m. Shot gun start 1:00 p.m. Reception 6:00 p.m.
Family Day at the Ball Park Wednesday, July 24th at TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater, NJ Somerset Patriots v. Portland Sea Dogs Diamond Club Buffet 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. First Pitch 11:05 a.m.
MNYCA Holiday Party Thursday, November 21st, 2024 Liberty House 76 Audry Zapp Dr, Liberty State Park, NJ 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Please reach out to Patty with any questions: Patty.Paletto@mnyca.org
Connect with MNYCA on Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/6531944/