The Cordage Institute’s 2021 Annual Conference and 100th Anniversary Celebration was held on November 9-11, 2021 at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The full conference program included a Board of Directors Meeting, Technical Committee Meetings, a Business Session, the Annual Technical Seminar, the Gale Foster Memorial Golf Tournament, a 1920s-inspired Anniversary Celebration and Dinner, and plenty of opportunities for attendees to connect and interact.

The Business Session included a keynote presentation by Steven De Foer, and new member presentations by Raymond M. Pascale with Pascale Industries and Chuck “Rooster” Farmer with CCF Legacy.

The program for the Technical Seminar included the following presentations:

• Circular Design of Plastics in Ropes and Nets By Philippe Verschueren, Eurocord
• Innovative Braiding Technologies for Creating New Braiding Products Throughout the Times By Dr. Janpeter Horn, Herzog
• Influence of Yarn-to-Yarn Abrasion Test Geometry on Bending and Abrasion in Vectran® LCP Fibers By Forrest Sloan, Kuraray
• Comparison of Nylon and Polyester Mooring Tails By Elizabeth Huntley, Whitehill Manufacturing
• Bio-Based Coatings and Life-Cycle Management – Where are We Today? By Loet Hoppe, I-Coats NV
• Large Volume Utilization of Waste Rope By Professor Victor Li, University of Michigan

All of the presentations are available in the Members Only area of the Cordage Institute’s website.

A highlight of the conference was a very special 100th Anniversary Reception and Dinner on Wednesday, November 10th. Attendees dressed up for the 1920s themed gala, and everyone looked like the cat’s pajamas! The Cordage Institute’s President, Koen Van Goethem, announced that Steve Swiackey, who was sadly unable to attend, was selected as the recipient of the Gale Foster Award of Merit, and presented a plaque to Josh Walls to honor his tenure as Chair of the Cordage Institute’s Technical Committee. In addition, John Flory and Forrest Sloan were both awarded The Richards Technical Contribution Award to recognize their exceptional work on technical initiatives. Attendees delighted in the entertainment provided by The Greenbrier’s onsite performers, and completed the evening on the dance floor of 42 Below in The Greenbrier Casino Club. Make sure to check out the photos from the conference!

We would like to extend a special thank you to the following conference sponsors:

• Beyond Fibre
• DSM Protective Materials
• FibrXL
• Fletcher Industries, Inc.
• Hailide America, Inc.
• Herzog GmbH
• Honeywell
• I-Coats N.V.
• Kuraray America, Inc.
• Nexis Fibers
• Robco Engineering A/S
• Teijin Aramid
• TP Industrial Yarns B.V.