Canadian Coatings Conference
Transformative Change in the CASE Industry
The CASE industry and other sectors are changing rapidly across the entire supply chain up to and including products sold at the point of sale. Every company must do what it can to navigate the ever-evolving challenges whether it is related to raw material supply and supply chain management or new Government policy approaches with increasing regulatory changes impacting manufacturing and distribution, etc. At the same time the industry must make strategic investments in innovation, embrace growing ESG requirements including more sustainably sourced materials, inevitable impacts of AI integration in all aspects of corporate planning, all while meeting customer demands and increasing expectations. It is a transformative time in the CASE industry and more important than ever to exchange insights and approaches to new challenges, turning them into new opportunities and new alliances where necessary.
Intinerary of events
May 22 - 23, 2024, william gray hotel, old montreal
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Board of Directors Meeting
1:30 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.
Bibliothèque Ground Floor
Welcome Reception
7:00 p.m. — 10:00 p.m.
Edward Ballroom Second Floor
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Breakfast
7:45 a.m. — 9:00 a.m.
Edward Ballroom Second Floor
Research Presentations
9:00 a.m. — 4:30 p.m.
Margaret Foyer Third Floor
Lunch
12:00 p.m. — 1:30 p.m.
Edward Ballroom Second Floor
Thursday Night
Chair Awards Dinner
Reception
6:30 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.
Edward Ballroom Second Floor
Dinner
7:00 p.m. — 10:00 p.m.
Edward Ballroom Second Floor
Business Sessions
Margaret Ballroom Third Floor
Darrin Noble, Chair
President & COO, Cloverdale Paint
9:00 a.m. — 9:15 a.m.
Chair's Welcome
Dan Murad, President & CEO
The ChemQuest Group
9:15 a.m. — 9:45 a.m.
Economic Update: CASE Industry in Canada
One of the three pillars of sustainability is the ‘economy’. That pillar must be healthy before the equally important pillars of environment and governance can be properly addressed. This session will lay out the numbers in the CASE industry, sorting through the highs and the lows as companies craft business strategies based on informed, current and forward-thinking knowledge when planning ahead. CPCA’s recently updated Economic Impact Study noted stability after fluctuations over the past several years and a renewed focus on adapting to change as necessary. Every business must focus squarely on the numbers to navigate the way forward and adjust as needed to accommodate inevitable fluctuations in supply chains, regulatory changes, customer demands, and more. ChemQuest has been helping companies turn corporate insight and knowledge into action for many years and will bring that to bear as companies continue to make informed decisions supporting profitable growth.
Adrian Krygsman
ARXADA
9:45 a.m. — 10:15 a.m.
Canada Offside on Paint Preservation
Biocides are essential ingredients for the preservation of many treated articles and paint is no exception for in-can preservation and substrate integrity, while ensuring leftover paint can be reused or recycled. Preventing product contamination is a challenging and costly endeavour and regulatory assessment of the associated risks must be based on strong scientific data, with full appreciation of market demand. Canada moved to ban and restrict use for critical paint biocides, which will negatively impact manufacturing in Canada, contrary to the regulatory objectives of the PMRA. It will also mean increased microbial contamination causing more, not less harm, to both human health and the environment, also contradictory to PMRA objectives. The US EPA has not taken similar actions in the United States. The end result will be a negative impact on trade alignment in the world’s largest trading block with less manufacturing in Canada due to banned critical ingredients, fewer imports of products from the US, and thus less competition, higher prices, and fewer jobs for Canadians. PMRA is modernizing its regulatory process using such components as continuous oversight and life-cycle analysis, which is greatly expanding the role of government in the regulation of paint biocides.
10:15 a.m. — 10:30 a.m.
Networking Break
Margaret Foyer Third Floor
We invite all attendees to view the Research Posters from McGill University and Sherbrooke University.
Jeremy Pinto
Senior Applied Research Scientist
MILA – Quebec AI Institute
10:30 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.
Generative AI
AI is becoming pervasive and will only get more so as time goes on. This session will cover the basics, limitations and potential impacts of artificial intelligence. It will provide an overview of generative AI including the role of Large Language Models pre-trained on vast amounts of data and ChatGPT to produce humanlike text using natural language; a look at the strengths and limitations of generative models; and use cases and concerns with Generative AI applications. All industries are exploring the utility of AI in their respective market segments and how to maximize AI for continued growth during what will be a transformative era in business and life more broadly.
Gary LeRoux, President & CEO
CPCA
11:00 a.m. — 11:30 a.m.
11th Hour in Regulatory Overload in Canada
This session will outline the current challenges before the CASE industry in Canada, noting Canada is now at the tipping point of regulatory change and if the many proposed changes are adopted it will alter the industry for years to come. It will also touch on what CPCA and member companies are proactively doing for better regulatory outcomes. There are literally dozens of proposed changes to the way the CASE industry currently does business in Canada: from the kind of ingredients permitted in formulated products; how those products are shipped and stored across the supply chain; how they are labelled and disposed of or recycled; and much more. This session will assess where we are, what has been done, and what ‘all of industry’ - not just CPCA members - must do to ensure growth and productivity over the long-term for an important industry sector in Canada, one on which many other industry sectors rely for the success of their businesses.
11:30 a.m. — 12:00 a.m.
Annual General Meeting
(Members Only)
12:00 a.m. — 1:30 p.m.
Luncheon
Edward Ballroom Second Floor
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Joe Schwarz
Director, Office of Science and Society McGill University
1:30 p.m. — 2:00 p.m.
Separating Sense from Non-sense
Dr. Schwarcz is Director of McGill University’s “Office for Science and Society” with a mission to separate sense from nonsense when it comes to the use, perceptions and assessment of chemicals used in thousands of products. He is well known for his informative and entertaining public lectures and podcasts on topics ranging from the chemistry of food to the connection between the body and the mind. Professor Schwarcz has received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and for interpreting science for the public. Among many awards, he was the first non-American ever to win the American Chemical Society’s prestigious Grady-Stack Award for demystifying chemistry. He has written a number of highly engaging books. And as a chemist, he's particularly keen to rescue chemistry from the bad reputation it has developed in some circles in recent years.
Sam Morell, President
SamMorell.com
2:00 p.m. — 2:30 p.m.
Scientific Balance: Bridging Fundamental Chemistry with Empirical Work for Optimized Coatings Formulations
The ‘Scientific Balance’ explores the potential synergy between fundamental chemistry principles and empirical knowledge in the formulation of paints and coatings. In the coatings industry, empirical approaches often dominate certain practices, however, this approach may limit innovation and overlook areas that could enhance formulations. By revisiting fundamental concepts in chemistry, theory, and mechanism, formulators may gain insights into underlying principles of coatings performance. Examples include the use of chemistry, physics, and mathematics to address common challenges most formulators experience related to surface tension, pigment dispersion, rheology, and film formation. The right balance is important and needed for professional development and to unlock new avenues of product innovation for more effective, sustainable, and high-performance coatings.
3:00 — 3:15
Networking Break
Margaret Foyer Third Floor
We invite all attendees to view the Research Posters from McGill University and Sherbrooke University.
Heidi McAuliffe, VP, Government Affairs
American Coatings Association
2:30 p.m. — 3:00 p.m.
Policy and Regulatory Update: The United States
The CASE industry in the United States has similar challenges as Canada, but they have the added challenge of dealing with State-level policy and regulations, which adds an additional level of work and advocacy. As in Canada, they continue to address regulatory issues related to VOCs, chemical risk-assessment under TSCA, as well as biocide regulations for paint preservation under the US EPA, emerging PFAS issues, and product stewardship generally including Health & Safety/GHS rules, while acting as the secretariat for the World Coatings Council on important global issues. The political dimension in the US is much different than in Canada and it’s unclear which is better or more challenging as it changes from day to day, but both require significant industry attention. This session provides a brief look behind the curtain on advocacy efforts for the coatings industry in the United States.
Stephanie Vanslambrouck, Ph.D.
EMCO-Inortech Chief Scientist
3:15 p.m. — 3:45 p.m.
Sustainable Water-based Low VOC Coatings
Water-based (WB) coatings serve as an environmentally friendly alternative to solvent-based coatings due to their reduced volatile organic compound (VOC) content. VOCs pose risks to both the environment and human health. Minimizing VOCs is crucial for environmental preservation, air quality improvement, and adherence to new VOC limits. Coalescents, despite being major contributors to VOC content in WB coatings, play a vital role during film formation. They facilitate the creation of a uniform and continuous film as water evaporates. Coalescing agents are essential for achieving desired mechanical properties, aesthetic qualities, and chemical resistance. Abrasion resistance is a critical property for coatings exposed to harsh conditions, such as automotive, industrial machinery, flooring, and marine applications. One effective system known for its durability and high abrasion resistance is the two-component (2K) polyurethane (PU). This session will show how this is developed.
3:45 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.
CASE Industry in Canada Speaks
This is the first time CPCA has opted for this wide-open forum discussion on the many issues covered throughout the day as there has often not been enough time for questions following each presentation. Those attending can raise any concerns or express any frustration with respect to the current state of the CASE industry in Canada whether related to public policy and regulations, raw material supply, and other supply chain challenges. It will also look at some of the positive aspects of the CASE industry as well. Whether you are a manufacturer, supplier, distributor, or affiliated member your voice counts as much as your support. What might the future hold and are we ready in Canada? What are the things executives in the CASE industry worry about most? Are better times ahead in the CASE industry in Canada, if not why not? This will be a highly interactive session to hear what industry has to say. Let’s talk!
Conveners
Darrin Noble
President & COO
Cloverdale Paint
Gary LeRoux
President & CEO
CPCA
4:30 p.m. — 4:45 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Darrin Noble, President & COO
Cloverdale Paint
Thursday Night
Chair's Award Reception & Dinner
Margaret Ballroom Third Floor
Reception Starts at 6:30 p.m.
Dinner Service at 7:30 p.m.
Awards Presentations from 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Thank you to Our sponsors
CPCA extends sincere thanks to all our conference sponsors
