Deco ’15 kicked off on March 21 in Columbus, Ohio, to record numbers of exhibitors and attendees. Nearly a quarter of visitors were first-time attendees, and a number of international visitors represented countries such as Columbia, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Mexico and Canada.

Informational programming spanned all three days of the conference. Saturday’s session featured basic production techniques and an overview of glass and ceramic manufacturing. On Sunday, attendees received the latest regulatory and technical information from experts in the field, including Carol Brophy, noted California Proposition 65 attorney, and Walt Sanders, SGCDpro Washington liaison. Additional speakers included Alan Olson of Ferro Corp. and Robert St. John of Libbey, Inc.

Monday’s sessions focused on technical innovation. New products and processes were introduced. All six speakers on Monday were first-time Deco presenters. Companies represented included Ferro Corp., Isimat, PPG Industries, Delta Laboratories, RLS Pyrosil and Owens-Illinois.

Exhibitor Showcase

Exhibits were held on Sunday afternoon with a record 27 companies participating. Four new exhibitors displayed this year: Delta Laboratories, Fusion Ceramics, Peter-Lacke and RLS Pyrosil. Pennekamp Lehrs returned to exhibit after an absence of several years. Presentations and exhibitor information are available on the SGCDpro website.

Society Updates

The society’s annual business meeting and awards luncheon were also held on Monday. During the morning business meeting, new officers were installed for 2015-16. This year’s officers are: president, Mike Gervais, Geib Refining; vice president, David Stanton, Fusion Ceramics; treasurer, David Dunn, Commercial Decal of Ohio; and secretary (appointed by the board), Siobhan Poole, Saxco. Murray Bain was elected to a three-year director’s term, and Jeff Morris and Amit Chaubal continue as directors.

Corning, Inc. was presented with the prestigious Frank S. Child Award during Monday’s awards luncheon. The company was recognized for its ingenuity and technical achievement in bringing glass and ceramic product innovation to consumers. Notable contributions include CorningWare^®, Pyrex^®, Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass and Corning^® Willow^® Glass. The society will meet again April 16-18, 2016, at the Sheraton Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Md. 

 For more information, visit www.sgcd.org.  

Any views or opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not represent those of Ceramic Industry, its staff, Editorial Advisory Board or BNP Media.