ILTA gets to 40 too

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STORAGE • ILTA PRESIDENT KATHRYN CLAY LOOKS BACK TO THE FIRST ILTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE FORTY YEARS AGO, AND HOW THE ASSOCIATION HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN

CONGRATULATIONS, HCB, ON your 40th anniversary! We at the International Liquids Terminal Association (ILTA) are celebrating our own 40th anniversary – that of our annual operating conference and trade show, scheduled for 16 to 18 November in Houston this year.

ILTA itself was founded in 1974, the brainchild of four terminal executives: John L McDonald of Robertson Terminals in Houston; William Feldman of Lake-River Terminals in Berwyn, Illinois; GL ‘Jerry’ Spaeth of Bulk Terminals in Chicago; and David P Schofield of GATX Terminals in Chicago.

Following the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970 and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration

ILTA PRESIDENT KATHRYN CLAY SAYS SHE IS PROUD THAT

THE INDUSTRY HAS OPERATED SAFELY AND RELIABLY (OSHA) in 1971, many US industries faced growing regulatory compliance responsibilities throughout the 1970s. The terminal industry was among these. The four founders of the then Independent Liquid Terminal Association recognised that their sector lacked a dedicated association to advocate on their behalf on regulatory and legislative policy being formed in Washington. Unless they established such an organisation, the terminal industry would be absent in the formulation of new rules. Thus, the association was created.

By 1980, ILTA had established itself as the voice of the terminal industry in Washington and recognised that it could provide even more value by also cultivating professional development opportunities for industry professionals, providing a forum for product demonstrations and creating a space to network. Achieving these goals was possible only through fostering greater participation by the broader community of product and service providers that help terminal companies be successful. The ILTA board of directors formed a new category of membership – originally ‘sustaining member’, later becoming ‘supplier member’ – to provide for greater engagement by these industry partners in the association. That same year, the ILTA Annual Operating Conference and Trade Show was born.

RIGHT UP TO DATE Forty years later, ILTA’s annual event in Houston has become a must-attend event for terminal industry professionals. On 16 to 18 November this year, we look forward to bringing the industry together again. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our attendees, speakers and exhibitors. We are working hard to reconfigure our conference and trade show with social distancing in mind. We are also paying close attention to the recommendations of state and local health authorities. While ILTA 2020 will look and feel a little different during this new normal, we can certainly promise that our attendees will come away with new insights, deeper professional connections and memories of a great experience overall.

We know how important our annual event is to tank and terminal professionals and to the companies that provide them with products and services. We want our industry community to know that we, at ILTA, are here for them. We are proud of the contributions the industry makes to the world’s economy. We are particularly proud that the industry operated safely and reliably during the challenging circumstances of this past spring. We know our challenges are not over, but we hope you can take some time to spend time with your peers at our event this year.

As we celebrate 40 years of bringing the industry together at our annual operating conference and trade show, we congratulate HCB on your accomplishment of bringing world-class industry news to your subscribers. We wish you another successful 40 years. To learn more about this year’s ILTA conference and trade show, please visit www.ilta.org.