Ken Gronbach sets the tone with a data-rich look at why North America is demographically advantaged for long-term growth in workforce, consumption, and economic stability.
Speaker: Ken Gronbach, Demographer and Author

This session reframes North America’s advantage as an invitation to act. It sets the stage for the Summit by asking: how do we turn demographic and geopolitical tailwinds into real competitive gains?
Moderator: Brian Burkhart, Milliken
Speakers: Ross Gale, IPP; Omar Diaz, PPHB; Bill Bobbora, Third Coast Bank

How are domestic specialty and fine chemical manufacturers improving agility, throughput, and market responsiveness? This session explores real-world upgrades to legacy batch operations, strategic workforce development, and capacity planning to meet shifting downstream demands without relying on cost-cutting alone.
Moderator: Cameron Whaley, Southern Chemical & Textiles
Speakers: Jonathan O’Dwyer, Seatex LLC; Adam Pingel, Monument Chemical

Explore how companies reshoring pharma and custom manufacturing are investing in adaptability, modular capacity, and regulatory readiness. This session highlights practical steps taken by firms to meet domestic expectations for quality, compliance, and rapid scale-up, while remaining competitive globally.
Moderator: Charlie Lyon, API Innovation Center Speakers: Joe Dettinger, SOCMA; Todd Coleman, FutureFuel Chemical Company; Scott Knorr, Adesis

How are specialty chemical manufacturers rebuilding supply chain resilience in an era of geopolitical uncertainty? This session examines practical approaches to diversifying supply chains, evaluating new regional partnerships, and building resilience into procurement processes. From risk assessment frameworks to alternative sourcing strategies, discover how leading companies are maintaining operational continuity while reducing dependency on unstable regions without sacrificing cost competitiveness or quality standards.. 
Moderator: Chelsea Burlan, WR Grace
Speakers: Rich Preziotti, Boulder Scientific; Sheree McGill, PHT International; Shubhajit Ghosh, Halliburton

The capital market outlook will focus on the current economic conditions and forecast for GDP drivers and interest rates, specifically in the manufacturing sector. We will explore how these factors are expected to evolve, taking into account recent trends and future projections. The discussion will include an analysis of key economic indicators, potential risks, and opportunities for growth.

A look at real AI use cases and innovative business processes focusing on predictive maintenance, customer segmentation, and workforce planning tailored for batch operations.
Speakers: Jared Helenic, Infor; Anise Madh, Wipro

Succession planning in specialty chemicals requires more than traditional leadership development as experienced executives retire with decades of operational knowledge. This session examines practical approaches to building leadership pipelines, accelerating talent development, and facilitating effective generational transitions. From mentorship frameworks to knowledge transfer strategies, discover how companies are future-proofing their workforces while maintaining technical excellence and institutional wisdom.

Join SOCMA's advisory group for a concise briefing on the 2026 Manufacturing Outlook Survey and Report—now in its third year. We’ll highlight the most notable, data-backed trends emerging across the specialty chemicals landscape and what they could mean for executive planning.

Moderator: Joe Dettinger, SOCMA Speakers: Jose Maria Bermúdez, VIAKEM; Sarves Peri, Monument Chemical; Chelsea Burlan, WR Grace

A collective conversation about what policy changes the industry needs to support regional competitiveness and how SOCMA can help drive them forward.