Associations and other industry organizations supporting the printing and packaging industries offer tremendous resources, critically important in a time of rapid technological and societal change such as we are seeing today. Being aware of what is available and carefully selecting the groups and events that will help printing businesses—and suppliers to the industry—continue to grow and thrive is a smart strategy. No one has the time to attend all of the events or the resources to join all of the associations, but by being aware of what is available and judiciously taking advantage of appropriate resources, businesses definitely benefit. Keeping up with trends, knowing about the latest solutions, finding new business opportunities, learning how to optimize business and production processes, networking with peers, employee education—all of these are benefits these organizations offer. And they need the support of the industry to continue offering them.

This is Part Two of our coverage of industry organizations that can help businesses grow and thrive. We still haven’t covered everyone, but together, Part One and Part Two of this series catalog a significant percentage of the organizational resources available to the industry. We hope this helps your business choose the most appropriate memberships and activities as you plan for the future, and it gives extra visibility to the hardworking men and women that bring value to these organizations.

AATCC was founded in 1921 to serve the needs of textile professionals. It has a broad industry focus, whereas other associations tend to focus on a narrower swath, such as manufacturing or printing. AATCC is known for the test methods it develops, as well as the educational and networking opportunities association membership offers. In addition, Executive Vice President Brian Francois points out that members have an opportunity to have a seat at the table and make a difference, and any member is eligible to participate in association committees. Decisions are reached by full consensus vote with all objections needing to be addressed prior to coming to a conclusion. AATCC has about 2,500 individual members and about 230 corporate members.