As we move forward into 2004, the signs are good that we will have a better year in manufacturing.

In industry, a company must find suppliers that have a customer-driven focus and exceed expectations.

DuPont Titanium Technologies (Wilmington, DE) has joined the Resource Conservation Challenge's (RCC) voluntary National Waste Minimization Program, which fosters voluntary partnerships between EPA and industry that focus on reducing waste and the use of 39 chemicals listed by EPA as harmful.

The Coating 2003 conference and exhibition, which made its Midwest debut in Indianapolis on October 28 to 30, drew more than 5,000 participants.

The National Paint & Coatings Association presented Thomas Sullivan, retired chairman and CEO of RPM Inc. and NPCA's outgoing chairman, with the George Baugh Heckel Award, the association's highest honor.

BASF (Southfield, MI) has named Rainer Blair group vice president, Coatings, for North America, with responsibility for BASF's Coatings business in North America and global responsibility for the business' Automotive OEM Coatings unit.

NACE International presented Sherwin-Williams Industrial & Marine Coatings Group (Cleveland) with the society's Distinguished Organization Award for the company's continued commitment to product improvements in the field of coatings as an effective means of corrosion control.

How can we improve flow and leveling in small imperfections and scratches?

I am an industrial coatings salesman with 42 years experience in selling to OEM-type accounts, but I am also on the architectural review board of an 80-unit, high-end townhouse development.

CEM offers the Smart Therma-Dri System for accurate moisture analysis of low moisture samples in minutes.