What’s in a name? Sometimes a lot of confusion. Early this year, The Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) will become the Household & Commercial Products Association. The move was made, in part, to eliminate questions about what a specialty product is and isn’t, according to Association President and CEO Steve Caldeira.


“We needed a deep dialogue around the name and logo,” he told Happi. “People didn’t know who we were and what we represent.”


They will now. The new name is Household & Commercial Products Association, and it includes the tagline: “Innovative Products For Home. Work. Life.” According to Caldeira, the change is the result of a nearly year-long process that was based on the findings of comprehensive research, multiple focus groups and key stakeholder input.


The CSPA annual meeting, held last month in Fort Lauderdale, FL, attracted more than 400 industry executives. For a slideshow of the event, click here.


In unveiling the new name and logo, the association noted that research and focus groups validated that the organization suffered from a lack of brand identity as the CSPA name was very confusing to virtually all of the organization’s key constituencies. No one outside of the immediate membership and the EPA were remotely familiar with the CSPA brand, or even understood what the name meant, who CSPA represented, or what its most important issues were. The new Household & Commercial Products Association name will allow for greater transparency when communicating with the industry and advocating on behalf of its membership.


But the name change won’t change the association’s mission, which is to advocate successfully for its members and the industry. CSPA did just that with the passage of California’s Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2017, which makes California the first state to require ingredient labeling both on cleaning product labels and online. 


“It was a major win for industry,” explained Caldeira. “A diverse group of stakeholders came together to mitigate potentially disastrous legislation. Our members may not love it, but they can live with it.”


CSPA members now hope other states adopt S258 rather than create patchwork legislation. At the same time, CSPA is engaged with a variety of retailers, which have their own disclosure requirements, in an effort to cobble together a uniform ingredient disclosure program. The success of S258, demonstrated that CSPA can work closely with other organizations to widen its sphere of influence.


“We don’t always agree with NGOs and allied trades, but times are changing,” he noted. “We’re good alone, but better together.”


Federal Issues
Inside the Beltway, CSPA has met with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to gauge his support for critical issues such as the Toxic Substances and Control Act (TSCA), Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) and the EPA Safer Choice program.


“TSCA is going very well, administrator Pruitt supports it and he has expressed support for PRIA, too,” explained Caldeira.


At the same time, CSPA and other associations are hopeful that the Safer Choice program, which has been in effect for more than 15 years, will continue to help consumers, businesses and purchasers find cleaning products that perform and are safer for human health and the environment.


To help ensure that its voice is heard in Washington DC, CSPA is reestablishing its political action committee (PAC) this year.


“A PAC doesn’t need to be $1 million, but we do need to educate Congress about the importance of our industry,” he told Happi.


To educate politicians at every level of government about the members it represents, CSPA recently released results of economic research study that showed that household and commercial products are a $180 billion industry employing nearly 200,000.


“In 2018, the association will embark on an ambitious media campaign that will highlight the name, tagline and logo change of the organization to increase awareness and understanding of the significant economic role our members play within the US economy,” Caldeira told attendees at the annual meeting.


At the close of 2017, the association had between 240 and 250 member companies; and Caldeira is confident that the organization is well-positioned for more growth.


“There is a long runway out there as we represent marketers, manufacturers and suppliers,” he said. “Our enhanced focus can bring back the members that we’ve lost and bring prosperity to existing members.”


New Leaders


The association also announced David Campbell, vice president, regulatory and government affairs, N.A., RB, as chairman of the CSPA board of directors, who joined vice chairman, Pamela Lam, vice president, research and development, home and laundry care, Henkel Consumer Goods Inc., second vice chairman, Terrence (Jerry) Porter, vice president, global research and development, The Procter & Gamble Company, and treasurer Bill Schalitz, vice president of research and development, Spartan Chemical Company, as board officers.


During the annual meeting, CSPA awarded multiple members with volunteer recognition awards that highlight their outstanding work in one of CSPA’s seven divisions.


“The success of the household and commercial products industry depends on the commitment and innovation demonstrated by this year’s award winners,” Steve Caldeira said. “CSPA is very grateful for each winner’s devotion, support and service to our industry.”


Winners are:

• Aerosol Products: John J. Blum, Ph.D., Ball Food & Aerosol;
• Air Care Products: Deb Fiddelke, SC Johnson;
• Antimicrobial Products: Teresa Moore, The Procter & Gamble Co.;
• Cleaning Products: Hal Ambuter, RB;
• Industrial & Automotive Products: Gregg Starr, Valvoline;
• Pest Management: Douglas A. Spiker, Ph.D., Bayer US; and
• Polishes & Floor Maintenance: William Donaldson, Michelman, Inc.

Association Awards


Also during the annual meeting, CSPA honored Hal Ambuter, senior director, regulatory and government affairs, North America, RB, with the CSPA Chairman’s Award.


“Hal’s consistent engagement encourages conversation among industry leaders, and drives innovation in the household and commercial products industry,” explained Bill Auriemma, chairman of the board, CSPA. “His enthusiasm, complemented by his readiness to collaborate, has earned him the reputation of being both a leader and a team player. “We are very fortunate to have Hal protecting and furthering the best interests of our industry.”


Finally, CSPA awarded Paul Siracusa, PhD, the Charles E. Allderdice Jr. Memorial Award for his outstanding contributions to the household and commercial products industry. Siracusa is the former executive vice president, global research and development, Church & Dwight Co., Inc.


He was influential in the creation of CSPA’s Product Care program, and as chair, Siracusa grew the program’s reach throughout the organization. He led CSPA’s board of directors from 2014 through 2015, and has worked tirelessly to expand the association’s effectiveness in the household and commercial products industry. Well-known for pushing the envelope, Siracusa brought a forward-thinking perspective and high level of energy to CSPA, which was instrumental in setting the organization on its current path to success.


“The Allderdice Award is given to an outstanding individual who has gone above and beyond all expectations to better CSPA, and by that standard, Paul Siracusa is certainly deserving of the award. Paul’s tireless efforts to advance our organization’s message and promote the growth of CSPA has given him a strong presence and makes him stand out as a true leader, said Auriemma, who in addition to his role at the association is also president and CEO, Diversified CPC International. “I would like to thank Paul for his years of service to CSPA, and wish him a well-deserved retirement.”


Glauberman Applicants Sought

In other news, applications are being accepted for the annual Murray Glauberman Memorial Scholarship that will be awarded to a college-bound student at CSPA’s 2018 Mid-Year Meeting at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, located in National Harbor, MD in early May.


The scholarship program is open to all 2018 graduating high school seniors, and honorably discharged veterans who entered the military immediately following high school, whose parent or grandparent is a full-time employee of a CSPA member company. Application form and rules and regulations are available to download at www.cspa.org. Complete applications, including all attachments, must be received by March 1, 2018.