Polyurethane Foam Association Spring Meeting Tackles Key Issues,
Celebrates New Hall Of Famers

Jesse Mella of Leaf Polyol Wins Dr. Herman T. Stone Technical Excellence Awards
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (June 3, 2025)—The Polyurethane Foam Association’s Spring Meeting
in St Petersburg brought together more than 150 of the most influential people in the flexible
polyurethane foam industry to discuss
business conditions and the issues affecting
them.

The Historic Vinoy Autograph Hotel hosted
industry executives, researchers, EHS
specialists, marketers, and technologists for
networking and presentations on foam
sustainability, supply chains, artificial
intelligence, market trends, and the
regulatory environment.

“In spite of the uncertainties in the
marketplace, this meeting was very high
energy, with some of the best presentations
we’ve had in several years,” noted Dr.
Philippe Knaub, PFA President. “The
flexible foam industry continues to innovate
new products and processes, and continues
to move forward.”

Bill Gollnitz of Plastomer, PFA’s Technical Program
Moderator (L), recognizes Jesse Mella of Leaf Polyol as the
winner of this meeting’s Herman Stone Technical Excellence
Award. The audience of the Technical Program votes for the
winning presentation. As an indication of presentation
quality, all six eligible presentations received first place
votes.

PFA’s Industry Issues Session provided updates on end use markets, with special emphasis on
challenges in the auto industry. In addition, presenters covered topics such as using AI to
improve supply chain efficiency, recycling of mattresses returns, and regulatory issues.

The Thursday afternoon Technical Program focused heavily on sustainability, with presentations
on bio-polyols, polyols from CO2 recapture, recycling end-of-life (EOL) foam, factors affecting
mattress comfort, and new chemical additives. Speakers received some insightful questions,
which demonstrated that the topics connected with a sophisticated audience.
Following PFA’s Technical Program, Jesse Mella of Leaf Polyol was named winner of the Dr.
Herman Stone Technical Excellence Award. The award is voted on by attendees present for the
Technical Program. The award is named for Dr. Herman T. Stone, who served as PFA’s first
Technical Director. In 2007, Dr. Stone was inducted into the Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of
Fame.

Bill Gollnitz of Plastomer Corporation, a PFA Past President and Moderator of the Technical
Program, noted the quality of presentations was exceptional. “Of the presentations eligible for
the Herman Stone Award, all six received first place votes, and our audience was made up of the
top technical minds in our industry.”

Another highlight of the conference was the induction of two industry veterans into the Flexible
Polyurethane Foam Hall Of Fame. Michael Crowell and Helen Sullivan, both recently retired
from CertiPUR-US ® , were honored.

The Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of Fame was established to honor the leaders and
innovators of the industry and serves as an information source regarding the contribution of
individuals and companies who have significantly contributed to the growth and betterment of
the flexible polyurethane foam industry in North America.

Crowell served as the CertiPUR-US ® program’s executive director for the last decade. His
commitment to maintaining the program’s standards as a dynamic document, continuously
updated to reflect new safety and environmental regulations, has ensured its ongoing relevance.
He was honored with the organization’s Outstanding Leadership Award upon his retirement last
year.

Crowell’s career includes more than 40 years of senior management experience in the flexible
polyurethane foam industry, spanning technical, manufacturing, sales and marketing positions.
Before taking the helm at the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, the nonprofit that
administers the CertiPUR-US ® program, he served as vice president of marketing and sales for
Flexible Foam Products. He previously was vice president of automotive sales for Foamex
International (now known as FXI).

Sullivan’s connection with polyurethanes began in 1983 as an advertising and public relations
agency account manager for the International Sleep Products Assn.’s Better Sleep Council.
During her decade-long tenure, she played a role in reshaping consumer behavior, shortening the
mattress replacement cycle and helping to establish a market for ultra-premium bedding. Her
creation of the “May Is Better Sleep Month” campaign helped boost mattress sales and increased
the use of polyurethane foam. The program earned Sullivan two of her three Public Relations
Society of America Silver Anvil awards.

Sullivan’s most enduring contribution to the polyurethane foam industry came through her work
with the CertiPUR-US ® program. As brand manager, communications strategist and continuous
improvement officer, she helped grow the program from its inception into a globally recognized
standard for foam safety and performance.

The Polyurethane Foam Association is a trade association founded in 1980 to help educate
regulators, users, allied industries, and others about flexible polyurethane foam. PFA provides
facts on environmental, health and safety issues and technical information on the performance of
flexible polyurethane foam (FPF) in consumer and industrial products. FPF is used as a key
comfort component in most upholstered furniture and mattress products, along with automotive
seating, carpet cushion, packaging, and numerous other applications.

To learn more, visit www.pfa.org.