SPE, CPIA say members to benefit from alliance

The recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Canadian Plastics Industry Association and the Society of Plastics Engineers will spin into tangible benefits for Canadian members of both organizations, say officials. The intent of the MOU, which was signed in December, is to promote stronger ties between the two associations.
“Our goal has been to take full advantage of the globalization phenomenon that has been sweeping North America and to convert that into business for our respective members,” said CPIA CEO and president, Pierre Dubois.
The MOU provides an infrastructure to SPE in Canada through the offices of the CPIA, and creates a framework for greater cooperation between the two organizations, such as cross-promoting and participating in each other’s events, meetings and seminars. The strategy has already bore fruit as SPE Ontario and Quebec sections have recently agreed to undertake the organization of technical programs at the CPIA’s Plast-Ex and Expo-Plast shows respectively.
“This is going to help both organizations,” says SPE Ontario president Chris Amell. “SPE has not been well-marketed in Canada in part because people didn’t know where to go for information. Now we have one central office to coordinate all our member activities.”
SPE international president Terry Browitt says the benefits of the alliance will eventually spread to all SPE and CPIA members through the CPIA’s regional offices.
“We have sections in B.C. and Alberta that lack a critical mass, so we’re hoping that a real regional presence will kick start interest in these areas,” Browitt says.