ABMA Congress 2026 - Brush Expert Review

The Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve in Puerto Rico welcomed the ABMA (American Brush Manufacturers Association) members for their 109th Congress that took place from 24th – 27th March 2026. This fabulous venue occupied the delegates with many onsite facilities, from a selection of pools, the golden beach on its doorstep, tennis and pickleball courts, as well as a Stayfit Studio and the Rainforest Spa.

Set in the beautiful Rio Grande area at the tip of the north of the island, its outlook was stunning. Surrounded by huge hills covered with tall vegetation and close to the El Yunque Rainforest with its many waterfalls, the views were breath-taking. Even a golf course surrounding the grounds added further to its sense of space.

Unfortunately, we hit a rainy few days that included the downtime afternoon. So, yes, the trips to the rainforest, along with the paddleboarding and kayak events were called off. Such a shame, but that did not dampen the spirits of the members who found many other things occupy themselves in the well-equipped resort. The birds and wildlife were amazing. Even the small and some quite large iguanas that walked around the golf course were a joy to watch.

Day 1 - Tuesday 24th March

Convention Kick Off

Todd Leventhal of Nexstep Commercial Products, the Vice President of the ABMA, opened the meeting and announced the schedule of events for business and partners. He encouraged all to attend the teambuilding fun exercise at the end of the meeting and to enjoy the fantastic facilities that the hotel had to offer.

Todd Invited all delegates to introduce themselves one-by-one. There were some companies with significant long-term anniversaries in 2026: PMM, 50 years; Draper Knitting, 70 years; Precision Brush, 75 years; Braun Brush, 150 years; Wooster Brush, 175 years. Palmer Fixture Company also celebrated achieving the 6th generation at the helm.

Todd mentioned the outstanding success of the World Brush Expo held in Bologna, Italy in 2024 that had exceeded all expectations. He stated that the next edition to be held in Ghent, Belgium from 16 to 18 May 2028, is strategically placed for hotels and travel. The 2028 edition is expected to be even more popular and Todd encouraged delegates to make their reservations early.

ABMA Innovation Award 2026

Todd then introduced the nominees for the William Cordes Innovation Excellence Award, giving each company representative a chance to explain again the innovative nature of their items to the delegates. These details, having previously been sent to all members by email for voting, encouraged all who had not voted already to do so. The submissions were as follows:

Wooster Brush - Grip Tech Max

Mike Zimerman for Wooster Brush Company outlined their Grip Tech Max line of paintbrushes. The brush is designed to maximize both comfort and control and features a rubberised soft-grip texture that extends up and around the handle: this provides extra grip and reduced slip in the places it is needed most.

Available on both Ultra/Pro® Firm and Silver Tip ® brush lines
Composite handle with rubberized grip for ergonomics
Precise control
Everyday durability

Zahoransky USA - Z.Wasp 1

Steve Bellochio of Zahoransky USA explained the qualities of the Z.Wasp1 drilling and tufting machine used to produce technical and household brushes. The machine processes long filaments of up to 70mm in standard and up to 660mm of flat wire. It is possible to produce brushes with ‘filament mix’ of plastic and wire filaments.

Flexible system for different brush sizes, shapes and filament types
Processes flat wire of up to four flat wire spools at a time
Production of disc brushes with up to 900mm with filament mix of plastic and wire filaments

The winner of this year’s award would be announced on day 2.

Educational Workshops

After a short refreshment break, the first of two workshops were presented.

“Succession Planning” - Mark Huber, Thornwood Financial

We were introduced to Mark Huber, Financial and Tax Strategist at Thornwood Financial whose presentation focused on the topic of Succession Planning. This provided business owners with a practical roadmap for proactively managing their company’s transition or exit, urging them to “control your destiny or somebody else will” rather than leaving outcomes by chance.

He highlighted the 5 ‘D’s’ (Divorce, Disagreement, Disability, Distress and Death) that trigger 50% of unplanned business exits and stressed the importance of knowing your company's true worth through professional valuation. Naturally, Thornwood offers a superb service to assist any company owner through potentially difficult circumstances.

“Using Intellectual Property to Your Advantage” – Meredith Lloyd, Tyler Dykema PLLC

Next, we were introduced to Meridith Lloyd of Tyler Dykema PLLC who spoke about patents and intellectual property. Meridith provides legal services to ABMA members seeking to protect their technology, products and brands. Her practice focuses on helping businesses navigate the legal challenges that arise between competing or collaborating companies, particularly within the same industrial space.

A chemical engineer turned patent attorney, Meridith Lloyd brings unique technical expertise to intellectual property strategy and prosecution. She has industry experience supporting R&D and manufacturing leaders across the Midwest and has led research in immunology, ionic absorption technology and emulsion chemistry. Her patent experience spans custom chemicals, consumer products, energy systems and more.

Team Building Fun Activity

Team Building Fun was next on the agenda! The scenario: having been shipwrecked on a desert island where choices had to be made for shelter, food, who to trust and who not to rely on, the random groups of delegate “shipmates” were pitted against each other, with each group striving to making the correct choice for survival. A very crucial team effort in dire circumstances! Pictures of the event are now on display in the ABMA section of the Brush Expert Image Gallery.

The event was arranged by Taylor Kervin of the ABMA Team, who ran a tight ship, running through a large set of cleverly designed questions. As well as being filled with laughter, a lot of good ideas were developed as well as some interesting character discoveries!

Paul M Miller Welcome Reception

The day’s meeting was finished with all delegates attending the Paul M. Miller Welcome Reception held in the dome garden, and later inside for some lovely Puerto Rican traditional food delicacies and drinks bar.

Day 2 - Wednesday 25th March

The ABMA President, R. J. Lindstrom of Zephyr Manufacturing, opened the General Business Meeting and introduced Simon Lorillière of Brosserie Brenet, France who is the current FEIBP President.

Simon thanked the Board for inviting him and expounded on the strong collaboration that exists between the FEIBP and the ABMA, particularly considering their partnership for World Brush Expo. Simon presented R.J. with two bottles of the local cognac in gratitude.

Simon described the plan for this year’s FEIBP Congress that will be held in Lyon, France between Tuesday 22nd and Thursday 24th September 2026. His video of the amazing historic town of Lyon, known for its haute cuisine, with its beautiful surroundings was a delight to see, and I am sure encouragement enough for all ABMA members to put the dates in their diaries and to attend this exciting and interesting congress.

Before closing, Simon invited all ABMA members to attend the Congress saying, “Travel is easily obtained with direct trains from Paris to the centre of the city. The hosting hotel, Hotel Mercure, is well appointed within easy reach of everything in the city. The climate is great, and the surrounding countryside is beautiful.”

World Brush Expo 2028

The WBE 2028 team in Ghent 2028 announced that their website will be live approximately 8-15th April 2027. More notifications will be circulated as they are announced. All information will be added to the Brush Expert dedicated World Brush Expo resource page once released.

Emerging Leaders Program

After the break, Thomas Cottam of Industrial Brush Corporation, selected to represent the Emerging Leaders Program, was given the podium. He eloquently told his story of being part of the ABMA’s emerging leader program for young professionals of 45 years and younger to gain leadership experience networking within the industry.

Thomas has visited other US companies and attended business workshops, building relationships with industries overseas that many young people do not have the opportunity to do. These experiences have helped him and others on the program to expand their knowledge for future leadership roles.

Having attended the FEIBP’s 2025 Congress in Ischia, Thomas is keen to attend this year’s event in Lyon, despite the long and complicated journey he faced getting to the Italian island. He recommends that all delegates attend the ABMA’s European counterpart’s flagship annual event, citing the valuable global exposure and connections it provides, which he believes are well worth the effort.

Ulrich Zahoransky Retirement

Hans Sielemann, CEO of Zahoransky AG of Germany, was given the opportunity to formally announce the retirement of Ulrich Zahoransky who was widely known within the ABMA community, thanking all delegates who have purchased and use Zahoransky machines for their continued support.

Ulrich worked in the family business since 1987, rising from the shop floor to become CEO of this world-renowned company and the last of the Zahoransky family to hold this position. Under his leadership, the business grew geographically alongside the development of intelligent machinery solutions across multiple sectors. He also introduced apprenticeship and training programmes, fostering a strong culture of skills development and employee engagement.

He collaborated closely with customers and remained connected to daily operations, often working alongside engineers on the production floor to resolve challenges and refine solutions throughout his tenure.

Hans described him as a true pathfinder and invited all present to join him in thanking Ulrich for his lifelong dedication to customers worldwide, which they did warmly.

RJ welcomed new members and returning members as well as new attendees and the supporting press.

RJ then announced and thanked the Board of Directors for their support over the past year and mentioned all attending past presidents.

He thanked Ed Lowder who was stepping down from his long term on the board in various departments.

Innovation Award Winner

He announced the winner of the William A Cordes Innovation Award; Zahoransky with their Z.Wasp 1 trimming and tufting machine. A loud round of applause erupted.

Division Meeting Updates

Reports from the various ABMA Committee and Divisional meetings, as well as a financial update were given were provided. These included input from the following representatives:

Treasurer – Lance Cheney, Braun Brush
Convention Committee – Todd Leventhal, Nexstep Commercial Products
Public Relations Committee - Taylor Jameson, Ram Mfg.
Membership Committee – Frank Kigyos, Franklyn Automation
Statistical Committee – Gary Enchelmaier – Industrial Brush Co.
Safety & Standards Committee – Imre Karetka, Pferd Tools

All information is available to members via the usual ABMA channels.

ABMA Educational Institute

“Create Your High-Performance Culture” - Donald Cooper, The Donald Cooper Corp.

The business meeting closed and, following a 15-minute break, the ABMA Educational Institute reconvened with an inciteful talk from Donald Cooper entitled ‘’Create Your High-Performance Culture”. His theme measured accountability and profitability. His adage – “A helpful guide to intelligent purchase – Help them solve their puzzle.” Many delegates had a great deal of take-home from his inspirational talk.

More information on the two workshops and the Educational Institute speakers can be found in this separate press release.

Unfortunately, again the weather defined the afternoon with many of the pre-organised trips being cancelled.

The evening reception was attended by all before most delegates went with networking groups to eat at the various onsite restaurants.

Day 3 – Thursday 26th March

Face-to-Face table meetings

21 company tables were set up in the Ballroom for customers to join with Suppliers for a set of 15-minute discussions. At the end of each 15 minutes, a 2-minute turnaround ensured a smooth changeover for manufacturers to transfer to their next supplier. It was a very successful, smooth-running system with everyone satisfied with the outcome.

In the foyer there were three tables for the Speakers and four tables for the press. A perfect system for all.

Suppliers’ Evening

After a buffet lunch, the day’s leisure events were sadly cancelled due to inclement weather. However, everyone was keen to dress to impress for the final evening’s Suppliers’ Pirate Party—and did they impress!

The winner of the best costume went to Simon Lorilliere, President of the FEIBP, who transformed into a very authentic ‘Jack Tar’.

Pictures from each of the event’s business meetings and receptions are now available in the Brush Expert ABMA Image gallery.

We look forward to seeing as many as possible in Lyon, France at the FEIBP in September this year and even more delegates at Scottsdale, Florida in 2027.

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