The Urethane Blog
January 6, 2021
National Flammability Standard for Upholstered Furniture to Take Effect in June 2021
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Congress has passed a law mandating nationwide compliance with California’s flammability standard for upholstered furniture. The “COVID-19 Regulatory Relief and Work from Home Safety Act,” included in the massive appropriations bill passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on December 27, 2020, incorporates the provisions previously proposed in the Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act (SOFFA), a bill widely supported by the furniture industry.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been studying furniture flammability issues for decades, but was unable to reach a consensus on how to approach a regulation. Historically, industry, consumer groups, and regulators have disagreed on whether furniture should be required to withstand an “open flame” or instead be “smolder-resistant.”
In recent years, concern has grown over the consumer exposure to chemical flame retardants, which many speculated were added to furniture to make products resistant to open flames. In 2013, in response to that concern, California issued TB 117-2013, rolling back the state’s “open flame” requirement to a “smolder” test more easily met without the use of added flame retardants. Now, TB 117-2013’s “smolder” test will be the law nationwide.
Key Provisions
- Compliance date. Beginning June 25, 2021, all upholstered seating furniture imported or sold in the United States must comply with the flammability test specified by California Technical Bulletin 117-2013 (TB 117-2013).
- Labeling requirement. All upholstered furniture must bear a permanent label that includes the statement “Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability.”
- Exemption for bedding products. The law will not apply to bedding products, including mattresses and foundations (which are already subject to separate federal flammability standards).
- No general certificate of conformity or recordkeeping requirements. The law also expressly exempts upholstered seating furniture from the requirement to issue a General Certificate of Conformity. Instead, the prescribed permanent label will operate as the certification that a product is compliant with TB 117-2013.
Considerations for Companies
Companies that manufacture or sell upholstered furniture should begin planning for compliance with TTB 117-2013. While those companies selling upholstered furniture in California are already required to comply with the TB 117-2013’s test procedures, the federal law adds a new mandatory labeling requirement. Companies that do not already sell products compliant with TTB 117-2013 should familiarize themselves with the test procedures. We recommend consideration of the following steps:
- Communicate with suppliers. Retailers and importers should communicate with upstream suppliers and manufacturers to inform them of the new law and its requirements. Particularly with the supply chain still feeling the disruptive effects of COVID-19, preparation and communication are key.
- Create processes to ensure compliance. Manufacturers, importers, and retailers should evaluate their compliance procedures to ensure covered upholstered furniture is tested and labeled before distribution and sale. Quality assurance and audit policies should be developed and regularly performed to check for any gaps in compliance.
- Consider recordkeeping policies. While the new law does not set any recordkeeping requirements, companies may voluntarily set their own policies. Importers in particular should consider requiring overseas manufacturers to provide proof of passing test results and certify that products are properly labeled before shipment. Because overseas manufacturers are typically beyond the CPSC’s reach, importers can be held liable for untested, unlabeled, or falsely certified products. Due diligence can help mitigate the risk that a noncompliant product will cause compliance and enforcement difficulties for importers.
- Evaluate current inventory. The new law does not explicitly allow any “sell-through” period through which companies may sell products that have either not been tested or are not labeled as required by the law. Companies should take stock of their current inventory and consider testing and labeling any inventory they will not be able to sell before June 25, 2021.
January 5, 2021
January 5th, 2021
Dear Valued Customer,
Due to escalating raw material cost, COIM USA is increasing the selling prices of its Diexter® polyester polyols for CASE applications in the US and Canada by $0.04/lb. This price increase is effective February 5th, 2021, or as contracts allow.
We appreciate the business and partnership between our companies, and your account manager will contact you shortly to discuss the specifics of this increase.
January 5, 2021
January 5th, 2021
Dear Valued Customer,
Due to escalating raw material cost, COIM USA is increasing the selling prices of its Diexter® polyester polyols for CASE applications in the US and Canada by $0.04/lb. This price increase is effective February 5th, 2021, or as contracts allow.
We appreciate the business and partnership between our companies, and your account manager will contact you shortly to discuss the specifics of this increase.
January 5, 2021
Univar Solutions Names James B. Holcomb President of North America Chemical Distribution
on January 4, 2021
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Univar Solutions Inc. (NYSE: UNVR) (“Univar Solutions” or “the Company”), a global chemical and ingredient distributor and provider of value-added services, today named James B. Holcomb president of North America Chemical Distribution. In this role Mr. Holcomb will be responsible for the Company’s chemical distribution businesses in the U.S. and Canada. His first priority will be growing sales in North America in relation to non-specialty products and otherwise optimizing the effectiveness of our North American salesforce. His work will be complemented by the Company’s overall focus on providing an effortless customer experience supported by digitized systems and streamlined processes. In this role, he joins Jennifer McIntyre SVP, Chief Streamline Officer and Head of North American Operations, and Nick Powell, SVP, President Specialty Chemicals & Ingredients, to round out the leadership structure for North America.
Holcomb brings more than 25 years of industry experience leading critical growth projects and adding significant value through in-depth business acumen and commercial discipline practices. He is an accomplished chemical distribution thought leader with an astute focus on driving results and a proven track record of success.
“I’m excited to welcome Jim to the Univar Solutions team,” said David Jukes, president and chief executive officer. “His experience in the chemical distribution market in North America is unparalleled and he will be a major contributor to our S22 program designed to accelerate growth and increase earnings through a customer centric focus on operational efficiency and Omni-channel sales growth.”
Holcomb joins Univar Solutions after having been previously employed by Brenntag where he held the role of chief operating officer for Brenntag North America. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Memphis as well as completed the International Management Course at Ashridge University in the U.K.
www.otcdynamics.com/unvr-univar-solutions-names-james-b-holcomb-president-of-north-america-chemical-distribution/
January 5, 2021
Univar Solutions Names James B. Holcomb President of North America Chemical Distribution
on January 4, 2021
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Univar Solutions Inc. (NYSE: UNVR) (“Univar Solutions” or “the Company”), a global chemical and ingredient distributor and provider of value-added services, today named James B. Holcomb president of North America Chemical Distribution. In this role Mr. Holcomb will be responsible for the Company’s chemical distribution businesses in the U.S. and Canada. His first priority will be growing sales in North America in relation to non-specialty products and otherwise optimizing the effectiveness of our North American salesforce. His work will be complemented by the Company’s overall focus on providing an effortless customer experience supported by digitized systems and streamlined processes. In this role, he joins Jennifer McIntyre SVP, Chief Streamline Officer and Head of North American Operations, and Nick Powell, SVP, President Specialty Chemicals & Ingredients, to round out the leadership structure for North America.
Holcomb brings more than 25 years of industry experience leading critical growth projects and adding significant value through in-depth business acumen and commercial discipline practices. He is an accomplished chemical distribution thought leader with an astute focus on driving results and a proven track record of success.
“I’m excited to welcome Jim to the Univar Solutions team,” said David Jukes, president and chief executive officer. “His experience in the chemical distribution market in North America is unparalleled and he will be a major contributor to our S22 program designed to accelerate growth and increase earnings through a customer centric focus on operational efficiency and Omni-channel sales growth.”
Holcomb joins Univar Solutions after having been previously employed by Brenntag where he held the role of chief operating officer for Brenntag North America. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Memphis as well as completed the International Management Course at Ashridge University in the U.K.
www.otcdynamics.com/unvr-univar-solutions-names-james-b-holcomb-president-of-north-america-chemical-distribution/
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