Sharon Spielman

Electrocoat 2006 is a learning event for the entire finishing community. Value and return on investment are a top priority to the association, so it has incorporated several enhancements to give you more.

When e-coat service provider Autocoat needed to cut its reject rate and labor costs as well as improve its efficiency, reconfiguring its racks proved to be profitable.

In our first annual Powder Report, Industrial Paint & Powder talked with several industry experts about powder coatings and their part in the finishing industry. Read on for what some of the industry's suppliers think about powder's place and performance in the market.

A custom coater in Oklahoma says that to maintain high color-quality standards, all work areas must be cleaned with a high efficiency vacuum cleaner. Find out what this shop uses to control its quality with up to 10 color changes a day.

When we look back at 2005, the most notable events surely will include Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Like the old adage goes, "Timing is everything." For 19 years now, we mail our survey to qualified finishers in early fall.

Investor optimism plunged in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, reaching its lowest point in two-and-a-half years, according to the UBS/Gallup Poll of Investor Attitudes, which was released on September 26. Currently at 34, the UBS/Gallup Index of Investor Optimism is 27 points lower than last month, when the Index was at 61. It appears that energy costs are weighing heavily on investors' minds and dampening their outlook of the investment climate.

American Products employs approximately 200 employees in four facilities and is a major regional supplier of precision metal stamping and fabrications. Its services include powder coating, product design, assembly, welding and packaging. From concept to prototype, the ISO 9001-certified company strives to provide quality solutions.

You need only to turn on an episode of Overhaulin' or Rides - two of my favorite shows on The Learning Channel - to know just how important an automotive paint job is. And although the cars on these programs, with their intricate designs and top-notch custom paint jobs, are not the norm for how the average vehicle on the road looks today, you do not have to be a "motor head" to appreciate a high quality paint job. As an average consumer, I can say that today's average consumer expects no less than high quality when it comes to their car's finish and that of its parts.

If you could have a group of non-competing powder coaters walk through your powder coating plant and offer an honest opinion about the way you do business, would you want them to?