Issue #55  •  Spring 2022

Board & Committee Reports

WSTDA 2022 Annual Meeting
April 4-6, 2022 • Hilton Salt Lake City Center in Downtown Salt Lake City, UT

The Web Sling & Tie Down Association is headed to Salt Lake City, Utah for its 2022 Annual Meeting. We are back to an all in-person event, with WSTDA Technical Committee working sessions focused on the development and revision of recommended standards, plus industry two brand-new and timely educational sessions, and many networking opportunities.

NEW FOR 2022:  Welcome Reception on Monday, April 4!
Because a full day of events kicks off on Tuesday morning, and most attendees will arrive on Monday, WSTDA welcomes everyone to Salt Lake City with a Welcome Reception on Monday, April 4 to kick off the networking. Another group reception will be held on Tuesday evening, with a final group reception plus a full dinner event on Wednesday evening, to wrap up the Meeting. Be sure to check the new Schedule of events, in the link below.

Click here for more information about the WSTDA 2022 Annual Meeting.

2022 Annual Meeting PLATINUM Sponsor:

Sponsorships Still Available for Annual Meeting

Show your support for WSTDA and help support its programs and activities by becoming an Annual Meeting Sponsor. Click here for details on sponsorship opportunities.

WSTDA Celebrates Charles E. Lucas

WSTDA recently learned of the passing of Charles Lucas on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Charles leaves a long-lasting legacy on the web sling and tie down industry and was the recipient of WSTDA Honorary Life Membership in 2016, which honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the industry and gives them the opportunity to continue their involvement in WSTDA after retirement.

At that 2016 Fall Meeting, WSTDA celebrated Charles and his wife, Mary Ann, and shared with the attendees a short presentation celebrated all of the contributions Charlie made to the industry and the Association, and we’d like to share that again, in his honor.

WSTDA 2022-2023 Scholarship Program:
Spread the Word

The WSTDA Scholarship Program seeks to give back to the industry and provides a valuable benefit of WSTDA membership. The WSTDA Scholarships are merit-based awards intended to help offset educational expenses at an accredited college or university for qualified students in any field of study. Academic achievement, community service, and extracurricular activities, as well as responses to short essay questions, are each considered in the selection process.

Application to the WSTDA Scholarship Program is open to all employees, and legal dependents of such employees, of organizations that are Members in the US and Canada, in good standing with Web Sling & Tie Down Association.

Application for the 2022-2023 Scholarship Program is now available here. 

WSTDA Member Company Owners/Managers: download a Members-Only flyer to include in your payroll distribution information (all of your employees are eligible as long as they meet other requirements!)  COLOR PDF    GREYSCALE PDF

The application deadline is June 1, 2022. Awards will be announced in early July. Be sure to let all your fellow employees know that their families are eligible to apply! Visit www.wstda.com and look for “Scholarship Program” under the Members tab for details.

Support the Scholarship Program: Donate Today!
Donate today in support of the WSTDA Scholarship Program! The program is currently funded entirely by the WSTDA operating budget. All donations are applied to offset program awards and expenses. At this time, donations made in support of the WSTDA Scholarship Program are not tax-deductible as a charitable contribution, but may be deductible as a business expense; please consult your tax advisor.  Donate Today

Are You Ready to Serve?
Nominations Open for WSTDA Board of Directors

Election of Directors to the Board will be held during the 2022 Fall Meeting in Savannah, Georgia, during the General Session and annual Member Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 4, 2022.

Directors are elected to two-year terms, and information is available about the desired qualifications for, and responsibilities of, a WSTDA Board member by visiting the “Become a Board Member” page in the About menu at www.wstda.com. 

Applications for the 2022-2023 Board term are due to be submitted no later than 30 days before the election date.

The principal and alternate representative of any Regular or Associate member in good standing are eligible for election to the Board of Directors. (A subsidiary of a member which maintains its separate membership in the association may also be eligible for election to the Board of Directors.)

WSTDA Forms Editorial Review Committee
for New Magazine
Volunteer Opportunity for WSTDA Member Representatives

With the success of the first two issues of WSTDA’s new magazine, Lift & Secure in 2021, the Board has chartered a new Committee to oversee editorial content and guide decisions on topics to be covered in the magazine. 

Lift & Secure is published twice annually, with content targeted to stakeholders in synthetic lifting and load securement production, and the users who apply such products. WSTDA has established an Editorial Review Committee which is charged with the following responsibilities:

• Participate in 2 meetings (1 per issue) to discuss and generate subject matter/topics for future editions
• Provide, or help research, subject matter experts as contributors to editorial content
• Approve “Editorial Planner” twice annually (developed by publisher; prescribes planned content for each issue and is subject to WSTDA approval)
• Review all written editorial content for accuracy and relevance
• Participate in 2 meetings (1 per issue) to review and approve final content before publication

Additional Committee work, including individual research, review of articles, etc. may be required. As per WSTDA Policy & Procedure, the Board of Directors will appoint the Chair of this Committee, who may appoint a Co-Chair subject to Board approval.

The ideal composition of the Committee would include stakeholders representing synthetic web sling, roundsling, and load securement products, as well as global geographical representation where possible. Committee members will be provided a copy of WSTDA’s Conflict of Interest policy which provides for self-reporting of potential conflicts of interest, for example, should a competitor submit an article for review.

For more information email info@wstda.com. To apply, please go to https://wstda.com/page/committees and complete the online form.

Subscribe to receive Lift & Secure magazine

TECHNICAL COORDINATOR'S REPORT

LRC is Now TRC

The creation of the WSTDA Legal Resource Committee (LRC) goes back some fifteen (15) years. Since its inception, the LRC has taken on other assignments and has more on its agenda, which brought to mind that a committee name change should be addressed to better reflect the scope of the committee. As such, the WSTDA Board of Directors agreed, effective immediately, the committee name be modified and now known as the Technical Resource Committee (TRC).  READ MORE

LEGAL CORNER

Covid and the Workplace

With Year Three of the Coronavirus Pandemic underway, this is a good opportunity to review employers’ potential liabilities under the federal anti-discrimination and occupational health law, as well as under state and even local law.  The whole thing is admittedly maddeningly complicated and confusing and can give rise to uncertainty or “damned if you do/damned if you don’t” situations, but given the vast number of federal, state, and even county and city laws protecting employees and addressing the coronavirus situation, perhaps such an environment is unavoidable. READ MORE

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

WSTDA Welcomes New Associate Member; 2022 Membership Renewals Remain Strong

Since the last edition of Uplifting News, WSTDA has welcomed a new Associate Member, Hailide America, Inc is a subsidiary of Zhejiang Hailide New Material Co, Ltd. Hailide America markets and distributes Polyester Industrial Yarn for Zhejiang Hailide throughout North and South America for the following products: tire cords, airbags, seatbelts, coated fabrics, geo-synthetics, narrow fabrics and rope/webbing. Our goal is to bring value to our customers by offering the best pricing, service, quality, and logistics available, with a team focus on attention to detail. It is through our combined expertise in operations management and market knowledge that we can achieve this goal. We pride ourselves in maintaining the highest standards in both consumer relations and product quality assurance. Learn more at  http://www.hailideamerica.com. 

Renewals for Membership for the 2022 calendar year were strong coming into the New Year. Currently, over 90% of Members have completed their renewal and are eligible for WSTDA-member benefits – including registration pricing for the 2022 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City!  If you missed your renewal contact info@wstda.com TODAY and the team at WSTDA headquarters will get you squared away!

Calling all Members ... We Want Your News

To keep WSTDA’s website current and relevant, we are seeking news... industry news, company news, links to other industry sites that you have found helpful and interesting. We want to bring more visitors to the WSTDA site to expose them to the great work that we are doing on their behalf. The more information and updated news we have to share, the more we will get picked up by search engines, and the easier it will be for people in the industry to find us. Please send relevant news, information, and links to info@wstda.com.

WSTDA Staff

Kathleen A. DeMarco, CAE
Executive Director
443-640-1070 ext. 1119

Fred Stringfellow, CAE
Management Liaison
443-640-1070 ext. 1102

Cynthia Sanchez
Director of Meetings
443-640-1070 ext. 1117

Kristin Evans
Association Coordinator
443-640-1070 ext. 1110

Rene Bonner
Publications Coordinator
443-640-1070 ext. 1130

WSTDA Events

2022 Annual Meeting
April 4-7, 2022
Salt Lake City, Utah

2022 Fall Meeting
October 3-6, 2022
JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District
Savannah, GA

© 2022 Web Sling & Tie Down Association
2331 Rock Spring Road • Forest Hill, MD 21050 • phone: 443-640-1070 • fax: 443-640-1031 •  info@wstda.com •  www.wstda.com