ACC BULKS UP

Abstract

AS THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY recovers from a bruising recession, the American Chemistry Council plans to add small and medium-sized companies to its membership to make the trade group a broader and more effective government advocacy organization. According to ACC CEO Calvin M. Dooley, the membership drive is not an attempt to poach members from the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA), a trade group that represents nearly 300 mostly small and medium-sized batch chemical companies. ACC represents 135 generally larger chemical firms. Instead, Dooley told reporters at the group’s year-end press conference, ACC wants to broaden its membership base with “a few hundred” smaller chemical companies. To attract them, ACC will waive their dues for three years. He also wants to add affiliate members “along the chemical-value chain,” including plastics compounders, film extruders, and trade groups such as SOCMA and the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association. Letter-writing efforts just aren’t eff...