PolyOrgs Newsletter — May 2026: Certifications, Market News & Upcoming Events
From the Executive Director
Spring is peak season for polyurea contractors across North America, and PolyOrgs members are busier than ever. This month’s newsletter brings you the latest on certification program updates, member achievements, industry market news, and the events coming up through summer. As always, your feedback drives our programming — reach out to your regional coordinator with suggestions for training topics, speaker ideas, or chapter meeting formats.
— Dr. Sandra Okafor, Executive Director, PolyOrgs
Member News
Torres Industrial Coatings (Phoenix, AZ) recently completed a $380K agricultural reservoir project in partnership with a major Arizona irrigation cooperative. Member Rachel Torres shares her story in this month’s Member Spotlight.
Pacific Northwest Coatings Group received the 2026 PolyOrgs Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Award at the April board meeting for their work developing a zero-VOC polyurea application protocol for sensitive habitat areas.
Gulf Coast Protective Coatings (Houston, TX) announced their expansion to a second spray rig and the addition of two new PolyOrgs-certified applicators to their team.
Certification Corner
2026 Specialty Endorsements Now Live — Three new endorsement tracks (Potable Water Infrastructure, Containment & Environmental Protection, and Hybrid Spray Foam/Polyurea Systems) are now accepting enrollment. See the full details in our separate certification update post.
May Certification Completions — Congratulations to the following members who completed or renewed their PolyOrgs Certified Applicator status in May: Rafael Ortega, Brianna Sims, David Park, Leon Vasquez, and 11 additional applicators from across the country.
Technical Focus: Protecting Concrete Surfaces in Freeze-Thaw Climates
For members working in northern regions, polyurea continues to demonstrate superior performance in freeze-thaw cycling environments compared to epoxy and conventional coatings. A recent field study of polyurea-coated bridge decks in Minnesota and Wisconsin showed negligible delamination after five winters of service — an outcome that has prompted several state DOTs to update their bridge coating specifications. Members interested in bridge and infrastructure work can access the full case study in the PolyOrgs Technical Library (Member Portal login required).
Upcoming Events
June Chapter Meetings: Six cities across the US — see the June Meeting Schedule post for full details and registration links.
October Annual Summit: Registration opens August 1. Early-bird pricing available for the first 200 registrants.