50 Year Members 2011

AATCC Honors 50-Year Members
By Sandy Thomas

Join AATCC in honoring members who joined the Association in 1961 and have served the Association faithfully for the past 50 years. We are pleased to introduce these members and congratulate them for their outstanding service to AATCC!

Hans W. Albrecht, 79, of Calabash, N.C., USA. holds a BS in chemistry obtained in Zurich, Switzerland. Albrecht started his career in quality control at Glass-Kraft Co. in 1953, continuing in research and development at Metro-Atlantic Corp., and at Synthron in research and development and as a plant chemist. In 1969, he formed Albrecht Corp., a division of Oxford Textiles, where he was a partner until 1975. He then joined Finetex Inc. and Chem-Mark Inc., specializing in research and development and technical sales. In 1980, Albrecht moved to North Carolina, USA where he rejoined Finetex and worked as technical sales manager for 19 years. In 1999, he became a consultant at Finetex until his retirement in 2006.

As an AATCC senior emeritus member, he continues to support the Association. Albrecht enjoys playing golf and does some traveling. He and his wife, Thelma Latham Albrecht, have three children and eight grandchildren.

Robert E. Bailey, 78, of Dalton, Ga., USA, has a BS in textile chemistry from Auburn University, Ala., USA. He started his career at Stein Hall & Co. working as a junior chemist for about four months. After serving in the US Army from 1956 to 1958, Bailey resumed his career in February 1958 at Callaway Mills Co, working there until 1961 as assistant overseer and overseer of latex compounding and carpet dyeing. He then worked at Allied Chemical Co. until 1965, and at Rogers Dye & Finishing Co. for 15 years. In 1980, Bailey worked at BASF Corp. as a technical service representative until he retired in December 1998. An active senior emeritus member of AATCC, Bailey has supported the Association over the past 50 years. He and his wife, Virginia Fort Bailey, have three children and one grandchild.

Melton S. “Smitty” Birmingham, 77, of Simi Valley, Calif., USA, holds an AA degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA. He worked as a laboratory technician and a sales representative for General Aniline & Film Co. from 1957 to 1964. Birmingham was employed in sales by Ciba Chemicals & Dyestuffs from 1964 to 1971. He continued his work in textile chemical and dyestuff sales at Crompton and Knowles and Westex Chemicals Corp. In 1975, Birmingham joined the chemical specialties group of Emery Industries as a sales representative in the company’s western region. He continued his textile sales career at Keystone Aniline Corp. in 1981 as senior sales representative and eventually sales manager of the Pacific division of the company. After retiring in December 2001, he worked as a consultant for three years.

As an active senior AATCC member, Birmingham served as chair of the 1969 Summer Outing of the Palmetto Section held in Asheville, N.C., USA. He was chair of the Pacific Coast Section in 1974 and general chair of the 1978 National Technical Conference held in Anaheim, Calif., USA. In 1989, he also served as chair of the Pacific Section Scholarship Committee. He was also a member of AESF (American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society).

Birmingham’s hobbies include reading, model railroads, board games, golf, and traveling both in the USA and abroad. He especially enjoys volunteering at the local hospital in the surgical and cardiac units. He and his wife, Janice Marie Bryant Birmingham, have three children and four grandchildren.

Gordon H. Broome, 76, of Toccoa, Ga., USA, has a BS in chemistry from Belmont Abbey College, N.C., USA and an MS from the Institute of Textile Technology, Va., USA. Broome completed graduate work in analytical chemistry at the University of Delaware, and additional graduate study at Johns Hopkins University. He began his career as a chemist in the engineering department of American and Efird Mills Inc. Broome worked as manager, wet processing research; assistant vice-president of research and development; and vice-president of research and development at American and Efird for 30 years. In1987, Broome was employed by Coats and Clark Inc. as assistant director of research and development; at Coats American as director of research and development; and at Coats Technology Center USA as its director in 1995. After retiring in March 2000, he volunteered as the vision committee chairman for the Stephens County Development Authority.

As an AATCC member, he was actively involved in the RA70 Yarn Dyeing Technology committee. During his career, Broome collected a sizeable quantity of books and color cards from dyestuff and thread manufacturers. The book collection is a series of books, several of which may be considered somewhat rare such as the ones on “Napthols” produced by Hoechst and BASF. The thread color card collection was produced by current and past thread manufacturers, and illustrates various thread substrates and the use of various dyestuff classes. Additional hobbies include collecting odd laboratory devices and equipment used in yarn or thread dyeing. Broome also has an interest in instrumental color matching, since he was involved quite early in the use of both analog and digital computers—having been among the first to use the IBM 1130 for this purpose in the 1960s.

Also among his interests are photography, gardening, cattle raising, and traveling in conjunction with work and Rotary International. He is married to the former Stephanie H. Pardee.

Gerard M. Currier, 73, of Beaufort, N.C, USA, holds a BS in chemistry from High Point College, N.C., USA, and a BS in polymer chemistry from the University of Louisville, Ky., USA. Currier began his career in the textile business working as a lab technician for Geigy Chemical Dyestuff Division in the summer while in college. In 1965, he worked as a research chemist for Reliance Universal. He later transferred to AkzoNobel, working in various positions including vice-president, research and development of AkzoNobel Coatings. Currier retired in 2003 after working more than 37 years with the company. He has been professionally involved as a textile consultant since his retirement.

Currier joined AATCC while he was a student at High Point College and has remained an active senior emeritus member. His hobbies include flying and fishing. Currier and his wife, Anne Rogers Currier, have two children and four grandchildren.

Chloé R. Eichelberger, 77, of York, Pa., USA, furthered her education at York College and Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, Pa., USA. She started her career working in the laboratory at United Piece Dye Works. Through the years, she worked as laboratory manager and vice-president, and held various management positions which evolved into her becoming a principal with the company. In 1987, she had the opportunity to purchase the Middletown, Pa, USA, plant from her partners at United Piece Dye Works, and Chloé Eichelberger Textiles Inc. was born. She operated this plant with approximately 150 employees until 2001. At that time, she lost her lease due to a planned expansion of a local airport and very reluctantly closed the plant. Eichelberger continues her association with the textile industry with Chloé Textiles Inc., a consulting and brokerage firm in York.

Eichelberger currently serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, York College of Pennsylvania, and chairs the board of Memorial Hospital of York. Through the years, she has served on the boards of York Water Co., Susquehanna Bancshares, Harrisburg Regional Chamber, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. She also served four consecutive terms as president of the Outdoor Country Club of York.

Eichelberger was the first female inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame. She also received the Harrisburg Chamber’s Athena Award; the YWCA’s Women Who Make a Difference Award; and the Distinguished Alumni Award of York College. She was recognized as an outstanding woman in philanthropy with the presentation of York Foundation’s Judy Simpson Award. Additionally, she was inducted into the Central Penn Business Journal’s Hall of Fame; awarded an honorary doctorate degree from York College; and selected to deliver the commencement address to the York College graduating class of 2009.

She contributes to numerous nonprofit and charitable organizations “that make a difference in our community.” She continues to offer counsel to many young men and women who come to her regarding their debut into the business world. Eichelberger says she advises “that they display unquestionable ethics and a willingness to give more than required to succeed in business and in life.”

As an AATCC senior member, Eichelberger continues to support the Association by participating in conferences, seminars, Delaware Valley section meetings, and social events.
Her hobbies include reading, playing golf, music, travel, and fine dining.

Raymond E. Horbert, 76, of Warwick, R.I., USA, graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, USA, specializing in textile dyeing and chemistry. In 1954, he joined Cranston Print Works as a color shop supervisor, eventually working into management positions at Massachusetts and North Carolina, USA plants, and consulted at the Ireland facility. In 1965, Horbert represented American Cyanamid Co. as technical sales representative for dyes and chemicals in the New England area. He joined the chemical division of U.S. Oil Co. in 1972 as the company’s chemical sales representative and manager. In 1984, Horbert became a company owner of U.S. Oil and its southern affiliate (Southern U.S. Chemical). As a result, he was named vice-president of the merged company, SUS Chemical Co. of Rock Hill, S.C., USA. In 1988, SUS Chemical was merged into IVAX Industries Inc. Horbert consequently became vice-president, marketing and sales for the textile products division of IVAX. In his desire to pursue other interests, he became an independent sales agent and consultant in 1993, representing IVAX industries, Sybron Chemical, Bayer Chemical, and Lanxess Corp., until finally retiring in June 2006.

As an AATCC member, Horbert was section chair, vice-chair, section representative, and golf outing chair of the Rhode Island Section. He was very active in the New England Regional Technical Conference, serving as operating chair, operating vice-chair, technical program chair, and chair of housing and registration. Horbert served on the New England Regional Governing Committee for 12 years. On the national level, he was vice-president of the New England Region in 1989, 1990, and 1991; National Corporate Membership Chair from 1989 to 1992; and Senior Council Member from Rhode Island, USA for three years in the 1980s.

Horbert’s hobbies include playing golf at the Warwick Country Club and boating at the Newport Yacht Club. He was past commander of the Greenwich Bay Power Squadron, which is a division of the U.S. Power Squadrons. He remains active in the Vessel Safety Check Program, which inspects recreational vessels for Coast Guard approval. He and his wife, Barbara Lowe Horbert, have four children, two stepchildren, and eight grandchildren.

Kiyonobu Ninomiya, 78, of Hyougo, Japan, graduated from Kyoto Technical University, specializing in textile chemistry. Ninomiya started his career in textile testing at Marubeni-Iida Co. Ltd. in Osaka. He later progressed to general manager of the technical department of Marubeni Fashion Planning Corp. where he worked for many years. Ninomiya became professor at Shukugawa Gakuin College near Hyougo, where he worked until he retired in 2003. An active AATCC member, Ninomiya is an emeritus senior member in good standing.

Ivan G. Schick, 79, of Chestnut Hill, Mass., USA, holds a BS in chemistry from Robert Koleji Istanbul University in Turkey. In 1955, he founded Genkem Co. Ltd. (Istanbul) where he remained president until 1978. Genkem acted as sales agents for Turkey for several textile chemical and machinery companies. He was also president of Interkem Ltd. (textile chemical importers) and GKB Genel Kimya Boya Ltd. (manufacturer of textile enzymatic specialties and dyeing assistants) in Istanbul from 1970 to 1978. In 1980, Schick was a founding partner and president of HOLSA Inc. in New York, N.Y., USA—a joint venture with a large Turkish industrial group, specializing in exporting and marketing textiles. In 1984, he became president of Genmar Corp., where he represents U.S., Mexican, and European manufacturers of textile machinery and chemicals, and continues in that position.

An active senior member of AATCC, Schick is the former director and vice-president of the American Turkish Society, New York, USA; and the president of Quincentennial Foundation/USA from 1990 to 1995. His hobbies include classical music and history (from 1848 to present.) Schick and his late wife, Leyla Schick, have two children and two grandchildren.