1999: Past Meetings

Dr. Michael J. Block received his B.S. degree in chemistry at the University of Michigan and his M.A. degree and Ph.D. in organic chemistry at Harvard University. He spent 26 years in R&D at the Union Oil Company of California (Unocal), the last 15 as an R&D manager. His research areas included agrochemicals, petroleum-derived carbons, and water-based emulsion polymers. After spending a short time with another agrochemical company and running a consulting business for 2 years, he joined the American Chemical Society in 1999 as Editor of CHEMTECH magazine.

Dr. David Armbruster is president of the consulting and specialty products firm Armbruster Associates Inc., located in Summit, NJ USA and founded in 1982. His firm serves worldwide clients in the chemical and allied industries with marketing, technology, strategic planning, business development, expert witness, acquisitions, and technology commercialization consulting services; contract research and development; education programs; and specialty chemicals marketing/sales. The key specialization of the business is radiation (UV/EB) curing/photopolymerization. His background in the chemical industry spans over 30 years with Rohm and Haas, Celanese Chemical Company (now Hoechst Celanese) and includes his 17 years as consultant/entrepreneur.
He is a Charter Member of RadTech International, and also has memberships in the American Chemical Society, Association of Consulting Chemists and Chemical Engineers, Licensing Executives Society, and New Jersey Group of Small Chemical Businesses (founder and Chairman Emeritus).
Dr. Armbruster received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry and Photochemistry from the University of Cincinnati and his BS in Chemistry from Xavier University.

Plus the following topics, time permitting:
Ranking of the ACC&CE’s web site on major search engines. The use of the Internet as a marketing vehicle.
Developing your own web site.

Joint meeting with the CHEMICAL CONSULTANTS NETWORK Dr. Saferstein, a forensic expert for nearly 35 years, will discuss how to prepare testimony, how to work with your client-attorney, how to answer questions on the stand, and how to relate to a judge and jury. He will also discuss how to get started as an expert, and marketing your practice. The presentation will use a video of an actual trial to illustrate how an expert witness can successfully handle himself or herself under direct and cross examination in the courtroom.

A forensic science consultant, Richard Saferstein retired as Chief Forensic Scientist of the New Jersey State Police Laboratory in 1991. Prior to coming to the NJ State Police, he was employed as a forensic chemist with the Treasury Department and as an analytical chemist with Shell Chemical Co. The author of over 30 technical papers, Dr. Saferstein wrote a widely used textbook on the subject, Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science, now in its 6th edition, he has edited Forensic Science Handbook, Volumes 1-3, and he served on the editorial boards of Journal of Forensic Sciences and Microchemical Journal. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from City University of New York. Dr. Saferstein is a member of ACS and numerous professional forensic societies.

The March meeting will focus on who we are as an association and what our goals and purpose are for the New Millennium. Two “Brainstorming” techniques will be utilized to look at these issues.

First, we will take a hard look at our vision for the future by interacting in small groups (“break out”) to generate the initial ideas.

Second, we will further refine these ideas, as a group, using a “controlled brainstorming” technique, which is freewheeling, but controlled.

As a bonus, the experience of these ideas generating processes will provide an educational experience the members can use with their clients.

Biographical Profiles: Meyer R. Rosen is President of Interactive Consulting, Inc., East Norwich, N.Y. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (London), Vice President of ACC&CE, a Director of The American Institute of Chemists and a Fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners.

Mr. Rosen has consulted for hundreds of corporations involved in the development, optimization and quality control of new and existing products in the consumer, household, cosmetic, industrial, pharmaceutical and medical areas. He writes regularly for the Focus Reports Section of Chemical Market Reporter and DCI Magazine and his company runs brainstorming sessions for major chemical corporations.

Meyer’s work includes customized market research, analysis and development, technical writing and consultation to attorneys in technical product litigation. His broad fields’ of expertise include water-soluble polymers and their applications, organosilicones, and the creative application of fundamental surface, interfacial and rheological science for the solution of technical and business problems in the use and application of specialty chemicals.

William E. Swartz is the former Director of Technology for Rhone-Poulenc Food Ingredients, where he was responsible for managing the applications laboratories, technical service and regulatory affairs functions located in Cranbury, N.J., and Washington, PA. He then served as a consultant to that group. In addition, he is building a private consulting practice focusing on Sales, Marketing, and Technology management. His practice also features commercial development activities for new products and processes, particularly ones covered by use or process patents.

Swartz also was formerly the Director of Marketing, Food Phosphates for Rhone-Poulenc. He held various marketing management posts with Stauffer Chemical beginning in 1976, before that company was acquired by Rhone-Poulenc in 1987. His assignments involved the development, sales, and marketing of patented applications of food ingredients.

During his career he has been awarded more than 23 patents with several more now under review.

He is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists, ACC&CE, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Chemical Society, the Commercial Development Association, the American Marketing Association, the Chicago Drug and Chemical Association, and the National Eagle Scout Association.

How would you like to have your clients say they are very satisfied with your products/services and would hire you again without hesitation? How would you like to have your ideas accepted by your clients, the first time around?
Jon Barb will present the skills necessary to plan for and make, effective consultative sales calls. Learn: how to prepare for the face to face interaction, how to probe, support, close, and involve the client using style matching techniques. Focus is directed at client centered selling, whereby you identify the needs and wants of the customer, and then position the product/service/idea to meet those needs. By focusing on the customer, you increase the likelihood the sales presentation will be heard and accepted.
You will be better able to:

1. Identify the information, skills, and attitude required for successful selling.
2. Recognize the stages of an effective sales call.
3. Ask questions to gather information and uncover needs.
4. Listen effectively.
5. Handle objections.
6. Increase the likelihood of a totally satisfied client

Jon Barb has over twenty-three years experience conducting sales training programs for companies such as: Xerox Corporation, Union Carbide Corporation, Olin Corporation, and others. He has taught: basic sales training, consultative selling, strategic selling, sales negotiating, sales presentations, partnering, and sales management training programs.
Jon’s job experience includes: sales, marketing, customer service, process engineering, training & development. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and a MA in Human Resource Development from the New School for Social Research in New York City.