ILMA Compoundings - January 2020 - 18

Chuck is
planning
to create a network
vehicle for retired ILMA
folks during his
presidency. This is a
very good idea, and
it is Chuck's idea."
Frank Hamilton III, president,
South Atlantic Services
PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT
As president of the Board, Decker said
he wants to expand on the groundwork
past presidents have built. "I just arrived
back from the Union of the European
Lubricants Industry (UEIL) meetings in
Cannes, France, and the United Kingdom Lubricants Association (UKLA)
dinner in London," he said. "One area
I want to push hard this year is more
collaboration with those groups."
The UKLA, the UEIL, the Asian
Lubricant Manufacturers Union
(ALMU) and ILMA all have many
of the same business issues, which
range from regulatory requirements to
global specification and supply, Decker
explained. He added that several ILMA
members, such as MorOil Technologies
President Ron Powell and many other
Board members over the years, have
worked hard to strengthen the industry's global relationships.
ILMA CEO Holly Alfano said that
one of Decker's top priorities for his year
as president will be to finalize the ongoing research initiative. Jointly funded by
ILMA and the ILMA Foundation, the
research will define the "independent
lubricant manufacturer" and quantify
the industry's impact on North American economies. The project will be
completed in the first quarter of 2020.

18

JANUARY 2020

| COMPOUNDINGS | ILMA.ORG

"Chuck has incredible enthusiasm
and a can-do attitude," Alfano said.
"He has a genuine love for ILMA, and
is invested in its success. I look forward
to a productive year."
Decker said he plans to continue
to push and highlight the great work
the ILMA Foundation is doing and
the new Foundation Day at ILMA
Engage. Foundation Day will offer
meeting attendees education as well
as golf and fun activities to raise funds
for Foundation initiatives, such as
the scholarship program and research
projects. He also wants to encourage
more people to get involved in the
Association. "We need more folks
to get involved and volunteer for
committees and other activities," he
said. "I want the young folks at ILMA
to understand the importance of the
future of ILMA and the friendships
and relationships built by volunteering. Like I have said before, people do
business with people they trust, spend
time with and like."
Hamilton said ILMA and the
industry will benefit from Decker's
networking skills. "He has a broad
range of friends and business contacts,"
he said. "Chuck is planning to create a
network vehicle for retired ILMA folks
during his presidency. This is a very

good idea, and it is Chuck's idea. ILMA
has many fine people who have retired
from the industry but still cherish their
time in the Association. We should stay
in touch with those folks."
SUSTAINING A LEGACY
Decker values the legacy many people
within the lubricants industry have created, Kudis said. "His father-in-law and
my father were on the Board together,
and Chuck and I were on the Board
together," she said. "He is proud of the
multigenerational heritage that many of
the people within ILMA have."
The lubricants industry is changing,
and change happens fast, which makes
remaining successful a challenge. "A
small family business like American
Oil has to fight every day, and what
this industry has taught me is to never
give up and [to] face the challenge.
You have to figure out a way to get
the job done," Decker said, adding
that the key to success is preparation,
which he learned about firsthand as
a teacher and coach. "There is an old
saying: 'If you fail to prepare, you
prepare to fail.' You must prepare to
be successful."
Long is a freelance writer and journalist.
She can be reached at 925-750-7163 or
mindy@mindylong.com.
http://www.ILMA.ORG
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