NPCA Industry Awards announced at Annual Meeting.

The National Paint and Coatings Association (NPCA), Washington, DC, presented its 2005 George Baugh Heckel Award, Industry Statesman Awards, and Industry Achievement Award at its 118th Annual Meeting on October 23-25 in Cleveland, OH.

George Baugh Heckel Award

The George Baugh Heckel Award was presented to Thomas C. Osborne, chief executive officer of Tnemec Corporation.

Mr. Osborne has worked in the paint and coatings industry for 30 years. He began his career with Glidden Paint in 1973 and later was an executive with ICI Paints, which acquired Glidden. In 1989, he graduated from the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program. He joined Tnemec Corporation in 1998.

Mr. Osborne has been a member of the NPCA for over 20 years. He assumed the role of NPCA Chairman of the Board in 2003. He received the NPCA's Industry Achievement Award in 2004.

Industry Statesman Awards

The Industry Statesman Awards were given to six individuals in recognition and appreciation of their "long and devoted service to the paint and coatings industry."

Samuel Cabot III, chairman of Samuel Cabot, Inc., joined his family's company in 1969 as treasurer. He became president and CEO in 1978 and held that position for 22 years before taking the role of chairman. Mr. Cabot served on NPCA's Budget and Finance and Awards Committees.

Richard W. Murry, retired president of the Canadian Paint and Coatings Association (CPCA), began his career in 1965 as a paint chemist with O'Brien Paint. He joined the NPCA staff in 1970 as an assistant technical director. While at the NPCA, he helped to establish a number of health and safety programs. In the early 1980s, Mr. Murry chaired the joint NPCA/CPCA group that developed the Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS[R]) that was introduced in the U.S. and Canada. He also chaired IPPIC's Coatings Care[R] Product Stewardship Committee.

Robert Nelson, retired senior director of environmental affairs for the NPCA, served the organization for nearly 29 years. During his three decades with NPCA, Mr. Nelson was involved with a variety of committees and task forces focused on environmental, safety and health, production, and regulatory issues. For the last 16 years, he spent the majority of his time on Clean Air Act regulatory issues at the local, state, and federal levels.

Daryl Raabe, retired president of Raabe Corporation, began his career as a high school chemistry teacher and football coach. He joined Raabe Corporation in 1978 and ascended through the company to the position of president in 1988. He served as a member of the NPCA's Owner-Manager Committee (now called Small Business Committee).

Kent A. Raabe, retired chairman and CEO of Raabe Corporation, spent his entire career with the company. Mr. Raabe served as a member of the NPCA's Board of Directors, and was Chair of the Spray Paint Manufacturers and Coatings Care Committees. Mr. Raabe's leadership of the Coatings Care Committee resulted in nearly full voluntary participation in the program by NPCA members. His commitment to the program earned him NPCA's Industry Achievement Award in 2003.

Richard M. Rompala, retired chairman, president, and CEO of The Valspar Corporation, started his career with St. Joe Minerals Corporation in 1969. Mr. Rompala was an active member of the NPCA from 1992 to 2004. He was a member of the association's Board of Directors, and Executive, Strategic Planning, and Nominating Committees.

Industry Achievement Award

NPCA presented its Industry Achievement Award in recognition of specific contributions to the paint and coatings industry.

This year, Philip L. Pesola received the award. Mr. Pesola is the executive vice president of Delta Laboratories, Inc. He served as the first chair of the Florida Paint Council, from January 1996 to June 1998. During his term as chair, the Florida Paint Council accomplished a major goal of having the state "solvent mixtures" tax repealed, which saves the industry approximately $5 million each year. Mr. Pesola is currently the chair of the Florida Paint Council's Political Action Committee and has served as chair of the NPCA's State Affairs Committee since 2001.