January 8, 2026 11:11
Following the announcement made last October, the Plastics Industry Association (Plastics) and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) have merged into a single organization that now represents the entire plastics value chain in North America.
Under the plan, SPE employees will be integrated into the Plastics staff, a collaborative governance framework will be established, and a unified structure will be implemented over the next six months to pursue the shared objectives of the two associations.
From a governance perspective, the integration plan—due to be completed over the course of this year—provides for SPE to become a division of Plastics, managed by an executive committee modeled on the current organizational structure.
Members of the Society of Plastics Engineers will retain their status, benefits and professional identity within the new division, while SPE’s current CEO, Patrick Farrey, will join the U.S. association as executive vice president of SPE and chief integration officer, leading the transition and ensuring continuity of SPE’s programs.
“For SPE members, this marks a new chapter full of opportunities,” commented Farrey. “Our technical expertise and professional development programs will now reach a broader audience, strengthened by the resources, advocacy and global platform provided by Plastics. We are ‘Better Together’ and well positioned to continue supporting industry professionals while advancing the plastics sector as a whole.”
Matt Seaholm (pictured), president and CEO of Plastics, also welcomed the agreement: “By formalizing the alignment of Plastics and SPE into a single organization, we are bringing together deep technical expertise and strong industry leadership to better serve our members and strengthen the plastics value chain. This decision is the result of months of collaboration and reflects our shared commitment to innovation, workforce development and the ability of plastics to deliver meaningful solutions.”
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