KaserCast

When the wash bay stops, production stops. No one knows this better than Brandon Stivers, whose time at Calvary Chemical has proven to him over and over that you simply cannot put out a good coating without proper pretreatment.

Therma-Tron-X, Inc is a leader in industrial finishing systems. As a sales engineer on the TTX team, Brian Rozdilsky spends his days solving his customers' oven problems. This requires industry knowledge, customer education, and a whole lot of creativity.

Andrea McKay started her company, Flatiron Window Well Covers, in response to two needs: 1. a housing development boom in her area, and 2. a need to escape stressful corporate jobs in order to heal from an MS attack that left her temporarily sightless. We're happy to report that she's thriving, and so is her business. Here's how she built a life she loves from the ground up.

Al Lerch was deployed to Vietnam at age 18. He subsequently worked in metal fabrication, started a printing business with his wife, and is now a sales representative for Carpenter Paper Company. He's done it all, and he has a lot of skills - not least of which is his emotional intelligence.

Laura recently bought an awnings company that does powder coating in-house. Being new to the finishing industry, she wanted to make sure her team was on the right track. Jase talks to her about her processes, priorities, and measures of success.

Al Lundy has been driving truck for more than 40 years. He's been everywhere, he's seen everything, and he's here to reassure us that the Kaser parking lot is NOT THAT BAD.

Kelly McCabe is the Director of Sales and Operations at PEM, Inc (which just happens to be one of Jase's all-time favorite suppliers). We talk about sales, education, and the invention of the best spray wand on the market.

Jessie Mencl, store manager at PPG Architectural Coatings in Lincoln, NE, has more than a decade's experience managing, hiring, and serving clients in the finishing industry. She's found a way to thrive through the new normal.

Matt Nelson of Spray Equipment and Service Center and Jason Schwer of Gema know a thing or two about the finishing industry, and they both agree: powder coating is the future.

Ross Sudbeck of Modern Coating Solutions reminds us that high performance coatings are the Chapstick, not the lipstick. Whether they're going on water towers or in a commercial kitchen, they're here to do a job.

Mike Cunningham is a welder by trade, a hunter by passion, and the brains behind one of the few powder coated duck blinds available on the market (check out Kohler Blinds for all of your duck blind needs). He also happens to be one of Jase's longest-standing customers.

Eric Ledger is nearly 40 years into what was supposed to be a "temporary job" with Sherwin Williams. From the farm crisis to Covid, he's seen it all - and he's living proof that it's possible to thrive through it.

SO MANY PEOPLE graduate from trade schools and community colleges with degrees in welding and auto body repair, without ever hearing about the plethora of job opportunities awaiting them in the finishing industry. If you're good with your hands and looking for stable work, this episode is for you. Learn more: www.kaserblasting.com/2021/12/20/you-might-be-a-powder-coater-who-just-doesnt-know-it-yet/

A mild mannered Certified Public Accountant by day, Tad Posposil's been tearing up race tracks for 23 years. Jase sits him down to talk racing, family, and Super Late Model technology.

We're normally pretty upbeat on KaserCast, but it's been a tough couple of years, and it's time to talk about it. Jase goes into all the ways that he feels backed into a corner by customer requests, material shortages, and hiring difficulties.

It turns out the coating you can't see (conversion) is just as important as the coating you can see (powder). Chemical expert Bill Townsend explains why.

Shari Kaser (aka Jase's mom) sits him down and asks him all of the questions she's always wanted answers too. Some are work-related...others are not.

Fresh off of a 14-win season, sprint car driver Stu Snyder talks about the racing community, car maintenance, and that one time he died. Will this conversation get Jase back into racing?

As a Loss Control Manager at INSPRO, Teague Lottman has seen his share of workplace injuries...and fatalities. He talks about safety, training, and what you need to know about OSHA.

Jase Kaser may not be a car guy in the traditional sense of the term...but as a former race car driver and current powder coater, he's got no shortage of experience with the car restoration process. Here's his advice for anyone embarking on a restoration adventure.

Jase answers some FAQ about the wheel restoration process. Car, truck, or tractor, we do it all - and, depending on the wheel's substrate and application, we do it all a little differently. Take a peek behind the wheel restoration curtain.

Dave Fuller's mom knew early on that he'd likely grow up to be a design engineer. Thankfully, he puts those skills to good use in the finishing industry. He talks about masking, butt cuts, and the many hats he wears at Viadon LLC.

After eight years with Canfield & Joseph, Greg Stafford knows a thing or two about getting results in the blast booth. He talks about safety, media selection, and...fruity pebbles?

He calls himself the Sludge Sucker. We call him a chemical genius. Bill Townsend weighs in on the battle against corrosion from a pretreatment perspective.

Local art activist and all-around dynamo Liz Shea-McCoy talks about Lincoln's public art scene, and all the work that goes into maintaining (and restoring) it. Let her energy - and her commitment to her community - inspire you in your creative pursuits.

Jay Kaser is a founding member of Kaser Painting, Inc. He also happens to be Jase's dad. After 33 years of building a successful business for himself and his family, he has some advice - a lot of which boils down to "surround yourself with good people." We couldn't agree more.

2020 had some low lows. It also had some high highs. Jase reflects on a year unlike any other in the history of his small business.

Shari Kaser is a lot of things: she's an accountant, a UNL grad, and a founding member of Kaser Painting, Inc. She's also Jase's mom, and, as her family will tell you, a Brain Ninja. Shari takes us to 1987 - the birth of Kaser Painting, Inc, and everything she's learned along the way.

Managers, the workplace is not your fantasy football team. It is, however, very much like an actual football team, in which a group of people with diverse skill sets come together in the common pursuit of a shared goal.  Jase talks about getting to know your team's talents, pushing your players effectively, and valuing your sixth man as much as your starters.