New NMC Board Takes Up The Torch

The next two years promise to be busy for the NMC’s new board of directors and committee chairpersons as they set goals and plan programs to advance the professional status of the nail industry.

To carry on its goals of promoting the professionalization of the nail industry and increasing consumer awareness of professional nail services, the Nail Manufacturers Council (NMC) elected a new board of directors at its annual meeting at the summer Beauty and Barber Supply Institute (BBSI) show in Las Vegas. In the four years since its inception, the NMC has made significant contributions to the nail industry: It has developed standardized MSDS, professional sanitation guidelines for nail salons, and a glossary of nail terms.

In march the NMC hosted a Press Tea at the International Beauty Show in New York City, where the Council’s nail trend forecast for 1993 was unveiled to beauty editors from consumer magazines such as Elle, Glamour, Seventeen, and Working Woman. In July, the NMC cohosted a “Day of Education” with the Nails Industry Association. The “Day of Education” featured business classes on such topics as managing salon finances, motivational success, and marketing salon services in the ‘90s. Most recently, the Council contributed to settling the toluene lawsuit against nail polish manufacturers in California.

It’s significant industry contributions such as these to which Paul Dykstra, executive director of the American Beauty Association (ABA), attributes the NMC’s growing membership. Eleven of 19 companies that joined the ABA at the BBSI show are NMC members; the NMC now represents almost 30% of the ABA membership.

 “The nail manufacturers have revolutionized our association by forming their own separate council. They’ve gone peer to peer discussing the importance of the council and working together on legislation,” says Dykstra.

The new board members and committee chairpersons are full of energy and enthusiasm. Here’s what each board member and committee chairperson says he or she hopes to achieve.

Sunny Stinchcombe, vice president of Gena Laboratories/Perfect Nail and president of the NMC: Over the next two years we want to increase awareness of the NMC at the distributor and salon levels. The calls we get from nail technicians on specific issues help us direct our committees. It’s important for salon professionals to know they can call us and get unbiased information.

Jim Nordstrom. CEO of Creative Nail Design and vice president of the NMC: I’m hoping we can communicate more with the ABA so the interests of the nail industry are better represented on the ABA board.

My message to nail technicians is that our primary mission is to better the nail artist and the nail artist’s customer. I think the best example of what we can do is the toluene issue in California that we were able to settle.

Ben Edwards, president of Design Classic and treasurer of the NMC: A major priority in my role as treasurer is to raise funds. The ad that links distributors to the NMC is one of our major fund-raisers. The idea is for technicians to use those distributors.

Jan Bragulla [Arnold] president of Creative Nail Design and chairperson of the communications committee: Through the Press Tea we held in March we now have a foundation for communicating with the consumer press. I want to reach the consumer and educate her in what we are doing to service her needs. By the end of my term, I want consumer magazine beauty editors to rely on the NMC to educate them on all aspects of hand beauty so that they can take that information to their readers, who are also our consumers.

Charlie Knight, sales and marketing manager of Menda Scientific and chairperson of the safety and standards committee: Our first project is to compile a guide to federal regulatory requirements for salons. The guide would include EPA, OSHA, and FDA regulations, as well as any other regulations affecting salons. We also plan to formulate broad-based guidelines for storing and disposing of chemicals, product labeling, infection control, and work habits for nail technicians and salon owners.

Beth Hickey, national sales manager for OrigiNails and chairperson of the education and show committee: My agenda is to continue what we’ve been doing for the past two years. I also want to build more educational prices for nail technicians. We want to offer technicians useful motivational, marketing, and business-building information.

I want to know from nail technicians what they’re lacking in the salon and what they would like to see the association achieve to help them in the salon.

Gerri Cevetillo, group manager of Ultronics and chairperson of the scholarship committee: We want to work with the Association of Accredited Cosmetology Schools (AACS) and the NMC membership to establish scholarships for nail technicians. We will be open to donations from the NMC membership: we also hope to use money we’ve earned as an organization.