David Savastano, Editor11.20.17
For many people, John Foster of Cabot Corporation is synonymous with the carbon black industry. Whether it is his annual lectures at NPIRI’s Summer Printing Ink course, his contribution to NPIRI committees, developing new products or helping his customers, Foster has been a leader in the carbon black industry for more than three decades.
In recognition of his efforts on behalf of the carbon black and ink industries, Foster was honored with the 2017 NAPIM Technical Associate Member (TAM) Service Award.
Foster joined Cabot in 1984 as a technical service/lab manager for inks and coatings, where one of his first assignments was the evaluation of a new carbon black for heatset inks.
“This involved visits to several ink companies to learn what performance properties are important to them,” he noted. “The following year, I attended NPIRI’s Summer Printing Ink course at Lehigh University, where I received my first in-depth training regarding printing inks.” He has since been a fixture at the summer courses, having taught many hundreds of students about carbon black.
“Receiving the TAM Award is one of the highlights of my career,” added Foster. “Another one is when Cabot reorganized and I was given technical responsibility for Cabot’s carbon blacks sold into printing inks in North and South America and most of Asia. This gave me the opportunity to travel throughout much of the world and learn the regional differences in how inks were made.”
He noted that he has had many mentors throughout his career.“There have been so many people who have influenced and mentored me in my career. They include people at Cabot as well as many of the ink customers I have dealt with over the years,” he said.
Foster has observed numerous changes in the ink industry over the years.
“The biggest changes I have seen in the past 30 years have been the consolidation of conventional printing ink manufacturers and the growth of digital inks,” said Foster.
“I have also seen a change in dispersion technology for black inks away from ball mills and three roll mills to media mills.”
Foster noted that NAPIM offers many benefits to the industry.
“NAPIM provides ink manufacturers and raw material suppliers many services that either are not available elsewhere or would be too costly without the combined resources provided by NAPIM members,” he added. “There are two key services that I find very valuable. The first is that it provides a forum for education and training in technical areas of importance to the ink industry, such as the summer ink course and the Technical Conference.
“The other is the Safety, Health, Environmental, and Regulatory support and information NAPIM provides for its members,” Foster noted. “NAPIM, as well as many other trade associations, presents a united voice of the industry to various regulatory bodies, which would be very difficult for individual companies to do alone.”
Outside of work, Foster’s hobbies include gardening, wood working and volunteering at his local church.
Foster said that receiving the TAM award is validation for his efforts on behalf of the industry.
“I am extremely honored that NAPIM choose me to receive this year’s TAM Award,” added Foster. “I have spent many years of my career at Cabot related to the printing ink industry, developing new carbon blacks, providing technical information and support to ink manufactures, presenting at the NIPRI Sumer Course, and representing the ink perspective within Cabot. The TAM Award demonstrates to me that my support of the printing ink industry over the past 30 years has been of value to the industry.”
In recognition of his efforts on behalf of the carbon black and ink industries, Foster was honored with the 2017 NAPIM Technical Associate Member (TAM) Service Award.
Foster joined Cabot in 1984 as a technical service/lab manager for inks and coatings, where one of his first assignments was the evaluation of a new carbon black for heatset inks.
“This involved visits to several ink companies to learn what performance properties are important to them,” he noted. “The following year, I attended NPIRI’s Summer Printing Ink course at Lehigh University, where I received my first in-depth training regarding printing inks.” He has since been a fixture at the summer courses, having taught many hundreds of students about carbon black.
“Receiving the TAM Award is one of the highlights of my career,” added Foster. “Another one is when Cabot reorganized and I was given technical responsibility for Cabot’s carbon blacks sold into printing inks in North and South America and most of Asia. This gave me the opportunity to travel throughout much of the world and learn the regional differences in how inks were made.”
He noted that he has had many mentors throughout his career.“There have been so many people who have influenced and mentored me in my career. They include people at Cabot as well as many of the ink customers I have dealt with over the years,” he said.
Foster has observed numerous changes in the ink industry over the years.
“The biggest changes I have seen in the past 30 years have been the consolidation of conventional printing ink manufacturers and the growth of digital inks,” said Foster.
“I have also seen a change in dispersion technology for black inks away from ball mills and three roll mills to media mills.”
Foster noted that NAPIM offers many benefits to the industry.
“NAPIM provides ink manufacturers and raw material suppliers many services that either are not available elsewhere or would be too costly without the combined resources provided by NAPIM members,” he added. “There are two key services that I find very valuable. The first is that it provides a forum for education and training in technical areas of importance to the ink industry, such as the summer ink course and the Technical Conference.
“The other is the Safety, Health, Environmental, and Regulatory support and information NAPIM provides for its members,” Foster noted. “NAPIM, as well as many other trade associations, presents a united voice of the industry to various regulatory bodies, which would be very difficult for individual companies to do alone.”
Outside of work, Foster’s hobbies include gardening, wood working and volunteering at his local church.
Foster said that receiving the TAM award is validation for his efforts on behalf of the industry.
“I am extremely honored that NAPIM choose me to receive this year’s TAM Award,” added Foster. “I have spent many years of my career at Cabot related to the printing ink industry, developing new carbon blacks, providing technical information and support to ink manufactures, presenting at the NIPRI Sumer Course, and representing the ink perspective within Cabot. The TAM Award demonstrates to me that my support of the printing ink industry over the past 30 years has been of value to the industry.”
