March 18, 2019

Pittsburgh, PA, USA – SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings and NACE International, The Worldwide Corrosion Authority, two non-profit professional associations in the field of corrosion and coating standards, training, and certification, have initiated exploratory discussions about synergistic opportunities which may exist between the two organizations. The discussions were initiated by the board officers of each organization who recognize the complementary nature of each respective organization’s mission, products, and services. Both boards have approved further evaluation of the concept, and preliminary discussions have been started.

“NACE and SSPC have a long history together going back to 1950 when SSPC was founded. NACE was part of the initial group, along with AISC and others, that established the original charter for SSPC. Although we’ve competed in some areas in recent years,” says Garry Manous, President of the SSPC Board of Governors, “overall we share a common goal of bettering society through the development and delivery of education and information that makes the professionals we serve the best they can be. It only makes sense that we explore whether we can better serve our mutual constituencies as partners than as separate organizations.”

“Our organizations really are complementary in many ways,” says Terry Greenfield, NACE International’s 2019-2020 President. “This is an opportunity to see if bringing together the best parts of each organization will make it easier for the stakeholders we share to access everything they need in one place vs two. If we combine our best services and products, our members and customers won’t have to move between two organizations and they’ll know they’re getting the most comprehensive options available.”

Over the next few months SSPC and NACE member leaders and staff will convene to discuss possible benefits and challenges of the concept. Both organizations will communicate regularly about progress and further plans.

To receive regular updates from the associations please email [email protected] or [email protected].

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.

Today, SSPC promotes the protection and preservation of concrete, steel and other industrial and marine structures and surfaces through the use of high-performance protective, marine and industrial coatings. SSPC is the leading source of training and information on surface preparation, coating selection, coating application, environmental regulations, and health and safety issues that affect the protective coatings industry. shop.sspc.org

Founded in 1943, NACE International, The Worldwide Corrosion Authority, 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

Media Contacts:
Bill Worms, [email protected], 412-288-6049
Mike Kline, [email protected], 412-288-6026