Administrator for Poly Moulding Certification Program Chosen
by Kellie A. Schroeder, CMP, CAE

The Moulding & Millwork Producers Association (MMPA) staged its Summer Business Meeting this past August in Asheville, N.C., at the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa (see related story on page 22). Manufacturers of wood, MDF and poly mouldings came together to discuss the current market, economy, industry standards and plant operations.

A highlight of the meeting was the WM® plant tours featuring equipment from Stiles Machinery, Weinig USA and WoodEye North America. Sherwin-Williams Co. also was on-hand during the equipment tours to address coatings questions by the manufacturers. Additionally, MMPA toured the manufacturing facilities of East Coast Moulding Co. in Wilkesboro, N.C., and Carolina Colortones in Arden, N.C., to round out the touring options.

Poly Blends Group Progresses
During the business meetings, the Poly Blends Group met for three consecutive days to finish mapping out its path to a certification program. The Poly Blends Group is led by chairman Bob Simon, Gossen Corp., and secretary Tina Mealer, Fypon Ltd. The Poly Blends Group chose Architectural Testing (ATI) of York, Pa., to be the administrator for the MMPA certification program for interior and exterior poly blends mouldings.

“The group is in the process of selecting the performance criteria to meet and exceed the requirements of the various code requirements in North America,” says Simon. “We will be conducting several conference calls prior to the March MMPA meeting to establish the performance criteria.”

"The group is in the process of selecting the performance criteria to meet and exceed the requirements of the various code requirements in North America."
—Bob Simon, group chair 

The groundwork is being laid by a core set of poly manufacturers to achieve the goal of a certification program. The initial Poly Blend members’ plan is to write an all-encompassing program that will allow manufacturers of poly blend mouldings—polystyrene, polyurethane, etc.—to be represented under one umbrella. As more poly blend moulding manufacturers join the group to assist in the process of developing the performance criteria, the more satisfied the Poly Blends Group becomes knowing that different segments of the poly moulding industry are represented in the program.

“Any plastic moulding producers are invited to join the MMPA and develop these standards,” Simon adds.

Currently, there is a good cross-section of the poly moulding manufacturing industry represented within the Poly Blends Group. However, no company should assume its specific products will be represented in the outcomes of the group’s endeavors. Poly manufacturers interested in joining the MMPA Poly Blends Group to ensure their products will be represented in the final certification program should contact the MMPA office. Teleconference calls will be ongoing until the MMPA’s winter business meeting takes place at Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms off the coast of Charleston, S.C., from March 22-25, 2011.

The meeting will kick off with a new set of WM plant tours and feature its Productivity Information Exchange (PIE) event during which manufacturers will meet with supplier experts for a day of personalized education in 45-minute sales-free segments. Depending upon the advancements made during the teleconferences this fall, the Poly Blends Group may begin testing products for the certification program as early as January 2011, equating to full review of the testing progress when the group comes together on the Isle of Palms.

The MMPA invites all manufacturers of mouldings and millwork to attend the March 2011 Winter Business Meeting, WM plant tours and PIE Event. Wood and MDF manufacturers discuss their markets and the advancement of their products in a similar fashion as the Poly Blends Group. For further information on how your company may participate, call the WM headquarters in Woodland, Calif., or send an e-mail inquiry to info@wmmpa.com.

DWM
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