Earlier roles included first-line supervision for synthetic detergent manufacturing with Procter & Gamble, pouring line manager for Carpenter Company, and field technical service for flame retardants used in rigid polyurethane foams at ExxonMobil Chemical.

A look at current economic conditions from specialists in analyzing the chemical industry.

A rising number of state and federal regulations are affecting the furniture industry. BIFMA will provide an update on the impact of these regulations, ongoing industry advocacy efforts, and future expectations.

Steve has 15+ years of experience as a sustainability professional in the furniture industry. He currently leads BIFMA’s Health and Sustainability programs including the LEVEL sustainability certification program adopted by most commercial furniture manufacturers.

Steve also serves as board chair of mindful Materials, a 501c3 non-profit. mindful Materials convenes industry leaders to define sustainable materials, crowd source sustainability data, and drive change better sustainability decisions.  

He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s in Civil/Environmental Engineering.

Mike Jackson’s thorough reports on the automotive industry have become a highly anticipated element of our programs. He’ll discuss the industry’s current challenges, including tariffs, supply chain issues and other trends.

Mike Jackson leads the association’s data compilation and analytics, identifies and researches industry trends, produces relevant analysis, and represents OESA at various speaking engagements as a subject matter expert regarding economic and related industry trends and analysis.

Mr. Jackson has more than 20 years of progressive experience in strategic planning, market forecasting and management consulting. Most recently, Jackson directed the vehicle production forecasting practice in North America at IHS Markit where he was responsible for sharing trusted insight and fostering enduring relationships across a diverse global client base of automakers, suppliers and stakeholders.

Mr. Jackson holds a bachelor of science in business, management strategy from Eastern Michigan University and a master of business administration in international business from Wayne State University. Jackson gained vital international industry experience during a multi-year stay, living and working in Germany, developing language fluency.

Bob Clark is Executive Director of the Carpet Cushion Council.  The CCC represents the North American carpet cushion industry as an advocate and an educator. As the industry resource for answers to carpet cushion-related questions, the Carpet Cushion Council educates carpet retailers, manufacturers, distributors, and cushion manufacturers about the benefits of carpet cushion. Ultimately, the Carpet Cushion Council’s objective is to provide carpet retailers with tools necessary to improve communication with customers and increase overall sales.

Knaub earned a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon. He holds multiple patents in polyol composition.

Arshawn Teymoorian is a dedicated legal advisor for trade associations in the manufacturing and insurance sectors. His practice focuses on association governance, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning, guiding clients through policy development, legislative advocacy, and stakeholder collaboration. Arshawn also provides skilled contract negotiation services alongside strategic day-to-day support and operational guidance on a range of issues that typically confront trade associations, including antitrust compliance, nonprofit status, and more. He holds a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and is admitted to the bar in California and the District of Columbia.

Wayne Bowman is Communications Counsel for PFA. In his 45-year career with advertising and public relations agencies, he has worked for more than 250 companies, including ARCO Chemical, Union Carbide, Mohawk Industries, Recticel Foam, the Flexible Foam Market Council, the Carpet Cushion Council, the Particleboard/Medium Density Fiberboard Institute, Kingsdown Mattresses, and Pennsylvania House Furniture. He first began with PFA in 1986, when he worked with Bob Luedeka at the J.P. Hogan & Company Advertising Agency. He left the agency and PFA in 1991, then returned to PFA in 2015.

His business, Bowman Creative + Strategy, works with a variety of clients and agencies throughout the Southeast. During his career, he has won more than 80 ADDY, Public Relations Society of America, and Society For Technical Communications Awards (including some for PFA). He is a member of the American Advertising Federation-Knoxville Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the American Advertising Federation National Silver Medal.

Jonathan Hostetler is a Segment Lead Chemist at TempurSealy International. He has been with the company for more than six years, rising from a starting position as Associate R&D Chemist.

He is responsible for conceiving and directing projects related to next generation materials and processes at TempurSealy, leading cross functional research teams, and process standardization efforts across plants, working with both polyurethanes and latex. He creates and maintains relationships with new vendors to screen applicable chemistries and test their impact on foam performance and properties. He has been an active participant in PFA’s Technical and Sustainability Committees.

Hostetler holds a Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech University, and will complete his Masters of Business Administration from the Haslam College of Business at The University of Tennessee in May 2026.

Over 2 billion pounds of flexible foam are consumed annually in the US, more than 86% of which ends up in landfills or incinerators. This contributes to environmental harm and lost opportunities to turn waste into high value materials. Current recycling solutions for recycling flexible foam, mechanical shredding and chemical glycolysis, typically limit outputs to low-value applications that leave much of the material underutilized. RoCo®’s proposed technology has the potential to supplement these existing recycling solutions while also increasing the variety and number of applications available for end-of-life flexible polyurethane foam waste.

RoCo® has developed a grinding system with heat and gas perfusion control that transforms foam waste into a fine powder with tailored particle size and surface chemistry, converting waste into value and increasing circularity in this materials’ life cycle. Fine control of the powder’s properties enables applications across multiple industries, such as automotive and construction materials. RoCo®’s approach diverts waste from landfills and creates sustainable material streams. There are clear opportunities for adjacency moves to other functional additive niches in the future, such as lightweighting of aerospace materials or scaffolding for tissue regeneration.

Depending on the gas used during grinding, the additive has an average bulk density ranging from 0.14-0.18 g/cc and an average particle size of about 170 microns. Incorporating the additive into rigid foams and cementitious mixtures has shown reduced density, lower thermal diffusivity, and improved acoustic performance. Preliminary life cycle analysis indicates minimal environmental impact from the grinding process. No toxicities are anticipated in these powders, but RoCo® will confirm this in future testing. Flexible foam samples that incorporate the additive show lower densities and significantly faster recoil, but these properties have not been fully quantified yet. RoCo® expects to have this data characterized by the PFA Conference in May.

Speaker Biography: Dr. Nulwala earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the Rochester Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in Chemistry (Materials) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, under Professor Craig Hawker. He completed postdoctoral research at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), where he worked on advanced materials for carbon capture and energy systems—laying the foundation for his interdisciplinary, impact-driven research. 

Previously an Associate Research Professor at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Dr. Nulwala led federally funded research programs on sustainable materials, CO₂ separations, and electrochemical solutions. He has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications and is named on 20 patents, with innovations spanning recyclable polymers, membranes, ionic liquids, and reactive monomers. His work is widely recognized for its ability to translate scientific discovery into real-world applications. 

Historically, slabstock polyurethane foam production has relied primarily on two pouring technologies: the trough system and the liquid laydown system. While both approaches have their merits, each is also associated with inherent limitations. This is particularly true regarding the distribution and processing highly reactive / specialty foam formulations such as MDI-based, viscoelastic, supersoft, and high-resilience (HR) formulations.

Today’s presentation will discuss some of the advantages of Cannon’s LayDown Master system, which reflects our extensive experience with both trough and liquid laydown systems. LayDown Master is an advanced distribution technology designed to achieve uniform polyurethane foam laydown across the full width of the foaming tunnel. It features:

· Reduction of material buildup typically seen with fast-reacting formulations. This results in improved process stability and enables extended, uninterrupted production runs.

· The system incorporates a manually adjustable distribution slot, allowing precise control of foam spread across a wide range of densities and formulations, including high-viscosity systems containing solid fillers.

· Reduces transition times between different foam grades. The system promotes operational efficiency, consistent product quality and enhanced reproducibility.

· Minimizes scrap and waste material, contributing to significant savings in raw materials.

The LayDown Master can be integrated into both new and existing slabstock production lines, both conventional liquid laydown and Maxfoam trough machinery.

The presenter will discuss the foaming parameters controlled by the system and their outcomes, and speak to photos showing block shape and transition between varying foam densities.