Library: Resources & Media
Press Releases
International Growth Continues at ChemQuest with Two New European Directors
The ChemQuest Group is pleased to announce the appointment of two Netherlands-based directors: Erwin Wild and Ruud van der Eerden. Erwin Wild is an experienced international business manager with a 30-year track record in the chemical industry. He combines his passion for innovation with an entrepreneurial attitude in order to develop holistic paths to success. Ruud van der Eerden is a driven strategic executive with more than 35 years of leadership in global strategy, sales, marketing, technology, regulatory, and business management of specialty resins and polymers in CASE and other markets. He has demonstrated expertise in developing and pressure-testing scenarios for business and commercial strategies.
Fallon and Devonport Named ChemQuest VPs
The ChemQuest Group is pleased to announce that Cynthia Fallon, Ph.D., and Wayne Devonport, Ph.D., have joined the firm and will serve as vice presidents. Both will support global clients in projects that span the firm’s service offerings. Fallon is an organic chemist with more than 35 years of experience in the chemical industry, having served in multiple capacities in R&D, new product development, scale-up, quality control, and operations. Devonport is a strategic and customer-oriented leader with global experience building high-performing innovation and R&D teams and delivering profitable growth in the chemical manufacturing industry.
ChemQuest Bolsters R&D and Operations Management Expertise with New Appointments
The ChemQuest Group is pleased to announce the appointment of three new directors: Kalyan Sehanobish, Ph.D.; John DeJoy; and Mitch Magee. Sehanobish has built a proven track record in R&D over his more than 40-year career in the thermoplastics industry, driving profitable, sustainable business growth and delivering breakthrough innovations. DeJoy has an accomplished and rich background in manufacturing and operations, with prior roles including plant manager, regional vice president, and senior vice president for manufacturing and engineering. Magee is a results-driven manufacturing executive with over 35 years of progressive leadership experience in global manufacturing operations.
Market Reports
U.S. Market Analysis for the Paint & Coatings Industry (2023 – 2028)
Global Market Analysis for the Paint & Coatings Industry (2024 – 2029)
Articles
Innovation Drives Growth for Powder Coatings
Over the years, powder coatings have entrenched themselves as an important technology within factory-applied coatings and the coatings industry as a whole. Powder coatings continue to grow above market rate at the expense of solvent-based coatings due to their high performance and favorable environmental profile. As the coatings industry appears to have mostly recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting supply chain issues, powder coatings are positioned for strong growth.
Three Key Trends Shaping Adhesives and Sealants Advances
Three dominant trends are redefining the adhesives and sealants segment. These are not isolated shifts but interconnected forces that determine which products win specifications, which suppliers remain qualified, and how value chains adapt to regulatory, technical, and operational pressures. Adhesives are no longer background consumables; they are strategic enablers of greener supply chains, lighter designs, and smarter high‑speed manufacturing. Their relevance today – and in the future – lies in shaping both compliance and competitive advantage.
Driving Operational Excellence with Overall Equipment Effectiveness
The goal of operational excellence is to continuously improve a company’s end-to-end operations, including production facilities as well as business functions, enabling the organization to achieve high performance while maintaining agility and responsiveness. Optimal operations support your company’s competitive advantage while driving long-term profitable growth. One ripe target for improvement in many organizations is overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), which compares your operation’s ideal performance to its overall real performance.
Cutting through Complexity: DOE in Powder Coating Optimization
Design of experiments (DOE) allows for the manipulation of multiple factors and enables researchers to see how the various interactions impact the desired end result. DOE is an efficient way to tackle R&D or manufacturing problems that have many input variables, cutting through complexity to make a daunting task much simpler. A case in point is the optimization of powder coating spray application parameters to hit specific targets and minimize out-of-spec coatings.
Microns by the Manual: A Guide to ASTM Paint Film Thickness Measurement Techniques
ASTM standards have wide-ranging procedures for measuring film thickness, including wet, thick, thin, translucent, clear, and highly pigmented systems. Techniques can be destructive cut-and-measure methods or nondestructive magnetic, eddy current, noncontact capacitance, ultrasonic, optical interference (ellipsometry), gravimetric, and micrometer measurements. The selected method depends upon the expected film thickness range, substrate (ferrous/nonferrous), and whether the film is a coating, plastic sheet, foil, or a multilayered system.
Driving Innovation through Disruption
When we discuss true market disruption, we are referring to the introduction of a product, service, or innovation that fundamentally alters how an industry operates. Often driven by technological advancements or shifts in business models, such changes frequently originate outside of established frameworks. The result? Successful disruptive innovation not only enables new revenue streams for the innovator, but it reshapes consumer expectations and challenges incumbent players.
Newsletters
The ChemQuest Group Newsletter – July/August 2024
Business Cycle Analysis is a powerful tool that enables companies to proactively assess the economy, identify trends, and capitalize on emerging opportunities. Just as we encourage clients to explore BCA—and we frequently apply the tool in our work on their behalf—I...
The ChemQuest Group Newsletter – May/June 2024
Certainly on paper, moving your production may seem like a clear, straightforward solution to numerous operational challenges. In practice, however, the process is extremely complicated with myriad issues that need to be fully considered in order to ensure success....
The ChemQuest Group Newsletter – March/April 2024
Although remote communication has become the norm, nothing can replace in-person interactions. The ability to fully articulate ideas and concepts without time constraints, to have spontaneous discussions, to meet unexpected new colleagues – these are just a few of the...
The ChemQuest Group Newsletter – January/February 2024
New Year’s resolutions are notoriously difficult to achieve. As 2024 gets fully underway, be assured that we at ChemQuest are always resolved – 24/7/365 – to support you and your business. Our team is uniquely equipped to not only help you identify achievable goals...
The ChemQuest Group Newsletter – November/December 2023
As the holiday season approaches and we begin to consider year-end results, the specialty chemicals sector can look back on 2023 as a stabilizing time. The major disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and various supply chain crises are finally in the past, and...
The ChemQuest Group Newsletter – September/October 2023
We have heard from many companies in the specialty chemicals sector over the past several months that they are experiencing challenges with their technology development efforts. These issues often arise from an urgent material substitution need, difficulty...
The ChemQuest Group Newsletter – Summer 2023
Our ever-pivoting industry and economy continues to surprise and challenge us. Globally, we have experienced a significant shift due to various factors such as energy price volatility, government policy changes, economic uncertainty, supply chain disruption, and...
The ChemQuest Group Newsletter – Spring 2023
A common question we hear when meeting new industry partners is, “What exactly does ChemQuest do?” The answer is actually quite simple: We help our clients make decisions that enable profitable growth. The ChemQuest commitment to the global specialty chemical...
The ChemQuest Group Newsletter – Q4 2022
Collectively, our world faced myriad uncertainties in 2022: historic inflation, continued ramifications from COVID-19, supply chain challenges, lack of access to raw materials, labor shortages, energy concerns, and the war in Ukraine. Consumer demands for sustainable...
The ChemQuest Group Newsletter – Q3 2022
While the industry has seen significant hurdles in the first three quarters of 2022, there have also been significant developments this year for increasing innovation and resilience, acquisitions and divestments, and operational excellence. ChemQuest has seen...
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