Local Business Leaders, Companies Making News

By John Voket

Both the Governor and one of the state’s leading business organizations have recognized Newtown executives by enlisting them to serve their respective professional constituents.

Governor M. Jodi Rell recently appointed Frank Pitrone of Sandy Hook to the state’s Automotive Glass Work and Flat Glass Work Board.

The board keeps a complete roster of all persons licensed or entitled to practice the occupation in Connecticut. The board advises the state’s commissioner of Consumer Protection on the adoption of regulations and reports violations of regulations to the Office of the State’s Attorney.

“Frank has amassed decades of experience and expertise in the glass work industry,” Gov Rell said. “He will be a big asset to the board, and his participation will help to protect consumers in Connecticut. I thank Frank for his willingness to serve on this state panel.”

Mr Pitrone is president of Sandy Hook-based Apex Glass and Aluminum Products, a family-run business established in 1962. The company, located at 10 Riverside Road, provides customers with a complete source for all residential and commercial glass and aluminum needs.

Mr Pitrone will serve at the pleasure of the governor for a term coterminous with the governor’s or until a successor is appointed and has qualified, whichever is longer. 

Those interested in serving on a state board or commission can visit ct.gov/GovernorRell and click on Forms.

On October 29, the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) elected Donald R. Droppo Jr., to a four-year term on its board of directors at its Annual Meeting in Hartford. Mr Droppo is senior vice president of sales and marketing at Curtis Packaging Corp., in Sandy Hook.

He is one of 12 new members elected to the CBIA board who will begin their terms December 1.

CBIA is the state’s largest business organization, with 10,000 member companies throughout Connecticut. The board of directors approves the organization’s plans, policies and strategies and particularly focuses on ways to make Connecticut a better place to do business and create jobs. Mr Droppo joined Curtis Packaging in 2003. Under his leadership, the company became the first printing and packaging company in North America to be Forest Stewardship Council certified, manufacture their packaging using 100 percent clean renewable energy and become 100 percent carbon neutral.

In related news, Newtown based TÜVRheinland, an international supplier of independent testing, assessment and certification services, announced a partnership with the CBIA to guide local manufacturers through the European Union’s REACH pre-registration and registration regulatory process.  Through this arrangement, TÜVRheinland will be the CBIA’s preferred choice of “Only Representative” to manufacturers and exporters throughout Connecticut.

REACH is the European Union’s regulation on chemicals and their safe use in products sold on the European market. Its requirements oversee the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical substances. Companies must pre-register for REACH by November 30 to avoid export delays as well as a time-intensive and costly formal registration process.

REACH regulation puts the onus on manufacturers to manage the risk of products containing chemical substances and also provide safety information. Manufacturers and exporters alike are required to list chemical substances in their products and to register the information in a central database run by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki.

 “Due to the rush of last-minute pre-registration, it is important to start the process immediately,” said Geoffrey Bock, TÜVRheinland’s Manager of WEEE/RoHS Services.  “TÜVRheinland helps companies effectively deal with a number of REACH issues and requirements.  Companies that do not comply with the European Union’s requirements effectively block their products from being sold into that market.”

Manufacturers must pre-register if a product contains or is built with chemical substances released during usage, and if a certain number of metric tons of substances are exported each year. Additionally, Bock says companies much pre-register if a product has at least one of 15 substances on the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).  Coincidentally, a few of these chemicals are under close scrutiny in the U.S. including Dibutyl phthalate and Benzyl butyl phthalate.

To contact TÜVRheinland about REACH pre-registration and registration, call 1-TUV-RHEINLAND (1-888-743-4652). Additional information can be found at www.cbia.com/business/TradeInfo/default.htm.