Due to various concerns of the 2009 CRG Board, there was no CRG Winter Technical Meeting in 2010.  However, the CRG Education Committee did put on another successful Basics of Rubber Technology Course in early March that was well attended and well received by the course participants.  I would like to thank Ron Coia, and the rest of the CRG Education Committee who put in countless hours of preparation for this course as well as the speakers, tour guides and instructors for their contributions in continuing the course’s success.

As mid-year approaches, the CRG is gearing up for the Spring Technical Meeting and the Golf Outings.  We are always looking for new ideas and other topics that will continue to make The Chicago Rubber Group a vital tool for local companies in the rubber industry.  It is just as essential for the success of this rubber group to have as much participation with the ideas of the membership as it is for the membership to pay dues and attend the technical meetings.  I am urging our membership to email me with any ideas that they would like to contribute to make this group even more successful. 

The Spring Technical Meeting will be held at the Grand Geneva Resort and I am looking forward to seeing all of you on Tuesday, May 11.  In order to make the CRG Golf Outings more successful, we will be putting on technical presentations prior to the outings this year.  The specific date for the CRG Wisconsin Outing will be announcement shortly, but the CRG Chicago Outing will take place on Thursday, July 22^nd, and will once again be held at Hilton’s Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, IL.  Unfortunately we are canceling the Central Illinois Rubber Group Golf Outing this year but could possibly schedule it for the following year. 

I would also like to remind everyone that the Chicago Rubber Group will be hosting the Fall Rubber Division ACS Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  We are looking for additional volunteers to help support the success of this event.  Please contact Tim Day at tim@chemrep.com if you are interested in contributing to this effort.  The ACS Rubber Division would also like to announce that the new website for the individual rubber groups is now available.  Please check it out for further information at http://www.rubber.org/local-rubber-group.

Finally and as always, I would like to thank the Board Members for their participation.  Again, please email me at andy@abchem.com with your suggestions.  Your contributions are greatly appreciated.

Andy Bobowski, President, The Chicago Rubber Group, Inc.