On the Line

In this latest installment of On the Line, Products Finishing (PF) takes a look back at the industry's past in order to look ahead. PF regional vice president Scott Walker discusses his experiences in the finishing industry, beginning with his early involvement with Modern Metals magazine and his transition to PF in 1996. Walker explores some of the industry's recent history, including improvements brought about by the EPA's Common Sense initiative, as well as current regulatory pressures regarding hexavalent chromium and PFAS chemistry. As the industry navigates a changing manufacturing landscape driven by increased adoption of automation solutions and the evolution of materials and processing methods, Walker underscores the finishing industry's critical role in various sectors, advocating for better public understanding of its contributions.

In this latest installment On the Line, Products Finishing delves into the crucial role of rectifiers in the electroplating process and the importance of industry education with a trend toward increasing implementation of automation solutions. Remington Schieffer, vice president of American CRS Equipment (Escondido, California), offers his insights.

Looking for insights into which events to attend as the tradeshow and conference season ramps up? In this latest installment of On the Line, Products Finishing editors Scott Francis and Lori Beckman offer an overview of upcoming surface finishing industry events including tradeshows, conferences and workshops. Gain a sneek peek into the Parts Cleaning Workshop (co-located with PMTS), Powder Coating Week and the SUR/FIN 2025 surface finishing industry tradeshow.   

With this installment of On the Line, PF looks ahead to an important upcoming event for powder coaters — the Powder Coating Institute's (PCI) Powder Coating Week in Orlando, Florida, which will take place April 14-16, 2025. In this podcast interview, PF speaks with PCI executive director Kevin Coursin about industry trends affecting powder coaters today, and what's in store for attendees at this year's Powder Coating Week.

Parts cleaning is a critical factor in achieving quality results in any surface finishing operation. In this installment of On the Line, Products Finishing catches up with John Clark, president of E & J Parts Cleaning Inc. (Waterbury, Connecticut) in a follow-up to a March 2024 profile story about the company's technical cleanliness expertise. PF executive editor Lori Beckman interviews Clark to learn about the company's latest efforts toward its goal of continuous improvement including the addition of new automated vacuum degreaser capabilities and the implementation of a paperless ERP system.

In October 2024, Products Finishing attended FABTECH in Orlando, Florida. The event's Finishing pavilion always offers a great opportunity to get insights into the latest innovations for coaters and finishers, and PF got the chance to catch up with Derek DeGeest, president of DeGeest Corp. and Lesta USA (Tea, South Dakota) to hear about the company's latest developments. The company held a ribbon cutting at FABTECH to announce its partnership with Eurosider (Toscana, Italy), provider of Nitrotherm and Polifluid technologies, which use nitrogen as a carrier instead of compressed air to deliver a more consistent finish to liquid and powder finishing applications, respectively. The solutions eliminate variables such as temperature and humidity in the finishing process and deliver up to 30% on system savings. According to DeGeest, the solution addresses an important step for manual finishing operations looking to introduce more automation. PF's On the Line podcast sat down with DeGeest to discuss trends in finishing automation and the challenges he hopes to address with Eurosider's solutions.

In 2020, Andrew Kossowski, a former U.S. Air Force officer and seasoned tech entrepreneur, decided to embark on a new adventure. He was drawn to a traditional finishing operation known as DHS Enterprises based in Clearwater, Florida — a business that had built a strong reputation over three decades in specialized metal finishing, offering processes like anodizing, chem film, and passivation. Kossowski sought to revamp the veteran- and minority-owned business as Veterans Metal, a state-of-the-art finishing operation by implementing cutting-edge technology and expanding its service capabilities. With a background in quality assurance and testing for military aircraft and experience as a telecommunications executive, Kossowski has brought a unique mix of expertise to his new venture over the past four years. In this installment of Products Finishing's On the Line podcast, we catch up with Kossowski to hear the latest about Veterans Metals' transformation journey and his vision for the what's on the horizon for the company.

Products Finishing recently hosted its Parts Cleaning Conference, co-located with IMTS 2024. In this episode of the podcast, PF Senior Editor Lori Beckman interviews conference co-chair, Darren Williams, professor of physical chemistry and leader of the cleaning research group at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. The pair reflect on highlights from the 2024 conference and discuss industrial parts cleaning trends and current regulations.

New regulations involving PFAS substances are presenting new challenges for manufacturing in all areas, including surface finishing operations. In this installment of On the Line, Products Finishing interviews Louis LeBrun, vice president of sales with Axine Water Technologies, an industrial water and wastewater treatment company that specializes in an electrochemical oxidation technology named ElectraCLEAR that is designed to eliminate PFAS compounds.

In this bonus episode of On the Line, Paul Skelton, president of the NASF Palmetto Southeast Chapter offers an overview of the NASF Palmetto Southeast Chapter 16th Annual Fall Conference — Oct. 9-10, 2024 at Folly Beach, S.C. The theme of this year's conference is "Succession on the Horizon" and the event features brilliant speakers, informative topics on impacting your business and the surface finishing industry, as well as manufacturing.

Recently, Products Finishing attended the SUR/FIN 2024 surface finishing industry trade show, an annual event hosted by the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF, Washington, D.C.). This year at the show, the NASF announced a rebranding aimed at unifying various aspects of the organization, including its educational foundation, as well as its various chapters. In this installment of PF's On the Line podcast, we speak with Vince Noonan, president of the NASF Foundation, president of the Metal Finishers Association of Southern California (MFASC) and vice president of strategic operations at Sheffield Platers (San Diego, Calif.) about some of these changes and what they mean for the finishing industry.

In the latest episode of Products Finishing's On the Line podcast episode, recorded at the SUR/FIN 2024 finishing industry tradeshow, we had the opportunity to sit down with executives a MacDermid Enthone Industrial Solutions to get their take on some of the latest trends in surface finishing from finishing solutions enabling various aspects of EVs to the latest sustainability and regulatory concerns. Join us for industry insights from MacDermid's senior global V.P. Richard Lynch and V.P. of technology Timothy Gotsick. 

In this episode of Product's Finishing On the Line podcast, Chandler Mancuso, technical director with MacDermid Envio discusses updating your wastewater treatment system and implementing materials recycling solutions to increase efficiencies, control costs and reduce environmental impact.

Products Finishing recently attended the Metal Finishing Association of California's annual legislation day event, which provides a forum for finishing operations in the state to voice their concerns to government officials. In this installment of On the Line, we learn more about the initiative and the key issues for California-based finishers.  OTL spoke with Bryan Leiker, executive director of the MFACA and legislative advocate Jerry Desmond, who works as the legal advisor for the MFACA. Leiker is also vice president of K&L Anodizing (Burbank, California) a 75-year-old family business, and has spent his career working to educate legislators about the efforts of the metal finishing community.

Recently Products Finishing traveled to Karlsruhe, Germany to attend Paint Expo 2024 and get a global perspective of trends in industrial coatings and to learn about the latest technologies. In this episode of On the Line, Gardner Business Media brand vice president for finishing and valve media Todd Luciano and PF editor in chief Scott Francis discuss some of the takeaways from the visit. 

As the EPA conducts fact-finding surveys in the metal finishing community regarding PFAS contamination, wastewater treatment is a growing concern for finishing operations. In this installment of Products Finishing's On the Line podcast we're digging into trends in wastewater management. Robin Deal, product manager and wastewater treatment specialist with Hubbard-Hall recently took some time out of her busy schedule to sit down with PF and discuss the latest in this field.

In this episode of Products Finishing's On the Line podcast, we  delve into the subject of workforce, touching on such topics as gender roles in manufacturing, and the importance of education in fostering a workforce for the future of the industry. Holly Gottfredson, president of two companies involved in manufacturing for the architectural market (American Metalcraft Inc. and Finishing Dynamics), recently took some time out of her busy schedule to talk with PF about her work running these companies and as an advocate for women in manufacturing and industry education.

This marks our 40th episode of Products Finishing's On the Line podcast and to celebrate we decided to turn the interviewer into the interviewee as PF senior editor Lori Beckman interviews PF editor-in-chief Scott Francis about some of the trends that are top of mind for finishers, industry events that are on the horizon and some of PF's initiatives for the year.  

In the latest installment of On the Line, Products Finishing learned about a recent ERP deployment by manufacturing software solutions provider Steelhead Technologies that was completed in record time for A1 Paint, Powder and Sandblasting in Kansas City, Missouri. Frank Laster, president and owner of A1 and Jordan Peterson, deployment engineer for Steelhead Technologies, recently sat down with PF to talk about the project.

The end of 2023 marks the completion of the third full season of Products Finishing's On the Line podcast. This installment marks our 38th episode of OTL (not counting several bonus episodes, video eps, etc.) and our last of 2023.  To celebrate, PF is looking back at some of the stories from the past year that stood out as representative of some of the major topics in the surface finishing industry. Check out this special retrospective episode.

One of the biggest issues in the metal finishing industry is the move away from hexavalent chromium-based finishing technologies. While trivalent chromium alternatives have existed for decades, hexavalent has been favored by many in the industry. Today, as trivalent chemistries improve and regulations tighten, more platers are compelled to make the switch. In this installment of On the Line, PF had the opportunity to speak with John Mulder, president of Master Finish (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Master Finish has a long history in chrome plating for decorative applications and has been using trivalent chromium for years. Mulder speaks about his experience with tri chrome and his advice for platers who are planning for the future by transitioning their current chromium processes or adding trivalent chromium capabilities.

In this installment of On the Line, we take a look at evolving material solutions trends and what they mean for finishers, particularly with regard to ways in which lightweighting and electrification of aerospace and automotive applications are influencing finishing operations. Peter Mirabello is chairman of Metal Finishing Technologies LLC, a company with a 75-year legacy in metal finishing with much of its work focused on aerospace and defense, including a large maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) division. Mirabello recently spoke with Products Finishing about his passion for surface finishing and trends shaping the industry today.

Recently, Products Finishing attended the 2023 SUR/FIN finishing trade show and technical conference organized by the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF). Unsurprisingly, one of the big topics of discussion was the increasing adoption of trivalent chromium technologies for finishing applications. One company working to advance the use of trivalent chromium for functional coating applications is Trion Coatings (South Bend, Ind.) with its SAFEChrome technology. SUR/FIN provided a perfect opportunity to catch up with Trion President Doug Morrison and Vice President of Marketing and Sales Kyle Hankinson and learn about the company's latest developments. Check out our discussion in the latest episode of On the Line. 

From research chemist to chemistry teacher to marketing manager to business development, Astro Electroplating's new president Chrissy Pullara has already had a prolific career in finishing — she recently sat down with Products Finishing's On the Line podcast to talk about her experience, trends in the industry and what's next for her company.

Automation solutions are seeing increasing adoption for finishing applications, driven by shifting trends in the workforce, rapid advances in robotics and smart technology, as well as the need for repeatability and consistency in quality. In this installment of On the Line, Products Finishing sits down with Hope Dollarhide, Project Engineer for automotive component and industrial paint with FANUC for insights into automation trends in the industry.

In this installment of Products Finishing's On the Line column, we discuss ERP solutions for finishers, and the latest trends and software for streamlining business operations. Given the wide variety of ERP systems, from off-the-shelf solutions to custom programs, how do finishers know what to look for when they're thinking of implementing new software? Robert (Bobby) Haggard is a consultant for TrinSoft LLC, a company that provides industry-specific solutions for manufacturing and finishing businesses. PF recently sat down with Haggard to get his insights into what finishers should consider when exploring a new ERP solution.

In this installment of On the Line, Products Finishing catches up with PF columnist and host of the TechEd Podcast Matthew Kirchner, president of LAB Midwest, a distributor of e-learning and hands-on training equipment dedicated to furthering industrial education programs and workforce training. Kirchner has been involved directly in manufacturing for more than 20 years and has spent the last eight years working in education and training for those interested in pursuing or furthering careers in manufacturing. Here are some of his thoughts on today's workforce dilemma.

The past few years have radically changed the supply chain landscape and the way business is conducted. In the midst of this upheaval comes new opportunities for manufacturers who are seeking the right partners. In this installment of On the Line, Products Finishing talks with Rhonda Dibachi, founder and CEO of HeyScottie, a new AI-enabled, cloud-based marketplace for anodizing, powder coating and electroless nickel finishing services. Dibachi discusses how her new automatic pricing engine can help manufacturers find finishing services and streamline the price quoting process.

In this episode of On the Line, we sit down with Kim Scott, the voice behind Maui Powder Works' Powder Coater Podcast, to learn about the company's grassroots approach to marketing and the mission that has grown from the podcast that helped propel Maui Powder Works from an island job shop to a recognized voice in the finishing community.  In addition to running a powder coating operation that serves all of the Hawaiiian islands, Maui Powder Works also records and produce the Powder Coater Podcast (also known as RossKote) — a weekly podcast that explores industry secrets, new products and trends in the world of powder coating.

This episode of On the Line follows up on an ongoing story for the finishing community and the topic of a recent interview with Bryan Leiker, executive director for the Metal Finishers Association of California (MFACA) – and that is the latest regulatory discussion over a proposed ban of hexavalent chromium use for plating and anodizing operations in the state. On January 27 the California Air Resources Board (CARB) conducted a public hearing where members of the finishing community had the opportunity to voice their concerns over the proposed ban. Leiker sits down with Products Finishing editor Scott Francis to offer a recap of the event and next steps in this important industry discussion.

Production levels and demand for electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise. What opportunities and challenges are in store for finishers working in the automotive space? In this installment of On the Line, Products Finishing catches up with Darrick Gula, North American OEM manager Atotech product line, and Brandon Lloyd, global product manager for paint support technology with MKS to hear about the ways chemical suppliers are helping to innovate in today's ever-changing automotive landscape.

This special retrospective episode of On the Line takes a look back at the podcast's second full season, discussing some of the themes and industry trends from 2022 as we look ahead to a new year. What might 2023 have in store for coaters & finishers? Products Finishing editor-in-chief Scott Francis and Todd Luciano, vice president for the Finishing and Valve media brands of PF's parent company Gardner Business Media, discuss some of what the industry has gone through this past year, revisit some excerpts from some of OTL's best episodes of 2022, and talk a bit about what might be on the horizon for the coming year.

For this bonus installment of On the Line, Products Finishing sat down with Bryan Leiker, executive director for the Metal Finishers Association of California (MFACA) to get an update on the latest moves to ban hexavalent chromium use for plating and anodizing operations in the state. The purpose of the hearing is to consider the proposed amendments to the Airborne Toxic Control Measure for chromium electroplating and chromic acid anodizing operations, the outcome is critical for the finishing community in California and as well as the industry at large.

The latest episode of PF's On the Line podcast rounds up some of the interviews we recorded at FABTECH 2022. You'll hear from John Anderson of Bulk Chemicals and Kelly McCabe of PEM about their work on a project for farm equipment provider Bazooka Farmstar Inc. Derek DeGeest of LestaUSA and JD Rogers Wagner discuss a new partnership between the two companies aimed at providing automation solutions for finishers. Phil Kelly of Circle-Prosco talks advances in zirconium pretreatment technology. These are just a few of the great things we ran across at the show. Follow PF on LinkedIn or check out PF's YouTube page to find some of the additional video interviews we captured at FABTECH.

As phosphate-based pretreatments become increasingly regulated, more finishers are considering zirconium pretreatment solutions. In this episode of On the Line, the official podcast of Products Finishing magazine, Darren Howard, a key account manager with Circle-Prosco, Inc., discusses the increasing popularity of zirconium pretreatment use in such areas as automotive and agriculture.

In this episode of On the Line, the official podcast of Products Finishing, Keith Jacobs, CEO of wastewater solutions provider ElectraMet, discusses the company's approach for reclaiming heavy metals and the latest sustainability trends for wastewater treatment.

Final preparations are underway for Electroless Nickel Conference 2022, presented by Products Finishing and Gardner Business Media. Taking place October 11-13 in Indianapolis, Ind., the conference is the first of its kind for the EN industry since 2010 and offers attendees a wealth electroless nickel education and networking opportunities. Industry veteran Brad Durkin is serving as the technical director for the event. With more than 35 years of industry experience, including his role as technical director for the EN 2007 Conference, Durkin provides a wealth of knowledge and an unrivaled vision for the ENC22 technical program. In this episode of On the Line, PF sits down with Durkin to talk about EN technology and what the conference has to offer.

Gary Vasilash is the transportation editor for Gardner Business Media. He has written about the automotive industry for more than 30 years and has covered everything from trends and best practices to innovations and emerging technologies. His work has appeared in a wide variety of publications including Automotive Design & Production magazine, AutoBeat, Car and Driver and The Wall Street Journal. In this episode of On the Line, Products Finishing catches up with Gary to get his take on current trends in the automotive industry and what the future might hold for coaters and finishers.

The National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF) SUR/FIN finishing industry tradeshow always provides a great opportunity to compare notes on the topics that are of the greatest concern for the finishing community. In this episode of Products Finishing's On the Line podcast, we highlight some of the conversations we had at the show regarding the industry's collaborative response to increasing regulatory pressure to transition existing hexavalent chrome to trivalent chromium.  

In this episode of Products Finishing's On the Line podcast we're celebrating one of top-ranking shops in this year's Top Shops Benchmarking Survey – our annual program designed to provide shops with helpful data for measuring their performance. Jesse Baldwin, chief operating officer for 2022 electroplating and anodizing Top Shop Triplex Plating, discusses the importance of benchmarking and the company's formula for success.

In this episode of On the Line, the official podcast of Products Finishing we delve into blasting methods for preparation of surfaces prior to finishing. Brandon Acker is president of Titan Abrasive Systems, a manufacturer of media blasting equipment and custom-engineered blast rooms that has been a provider of American-made blasting solutions since 1953. In this interview, Acker offers an overview of Titan's offerings, insights for blasting best practices, common pitfalls and more.

This year marks the 100 year anniversary of MacDermid Enthone Industrial Solutions —  global chemical supplier for the surface finishing industry.  In this episode of On the Line, we sit down with the company's vice president Richard Lynch as he reflects on the company's 100 years and discusses its goals for the future.

In this episode of On the Line, we speak with one of the recipients of the 2022 installment of the Products Finishing's Hall of Fame Award, Tony Revier with Uymura International, a global leader in the development, testing and manufacture of plating chemistries. Revier discusses his experiences in the industry, as well as his insights into what the future might hold for surface finishing. 

Jim Jones has spent almost his entire life in and around the finishing industry. Jones' father began working in the plating industry during WWII where he worked for Air Service Command in the plating shop at Warner Robins Air Force Base, and then working at Simmons Plating Works (Atlanta, Ga.) and eventually co-founding DIFCO. Following in his dad's footsteps, Jones held summer jobs at finishing shops before enlisting in the military himself. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Jones returned to DIFCO where he eventually became vice president and continues to consult to this day. Jones, a recent inductee into Products Finishing's Hall of Fame, took some time to tell On the Line about his experience in the industry and offer advice for future stewards of finishing.

In this episode of On the Line, we sit down with Doug Morrison of Trion Coatings LLC of South Bend, Ind., Mauricio Quiroz, chief scientist and co-founder, and Kyle Hankinson, director of special projects for KCH Surface Finishing to hear about a new non-aqueous trivalent chromium chemistry known as SAFE Chrome. Trion says the solution is designed to provide the finishing industry with safe and environmentally sustainable functional and decorative chrome coatings that match the performance of hexavalent chromium-based solutions.

In this episode of On the Line, Products Finishing sits down with Andrew Kossowski, owner of Veterans Metal (an old school finishing operation with a 30-year legacy of offering a variety of finishes, including anodizing, chem film, and passivation). In 2022 the company plans to completely update its traditional manual processes with digital solutions and automation. Starting with this podcast episode, Products Finishing will follow Veterans Metal's progress over the course of the year, offering insights for other finishers interested in embracing new technologies.  

In this episode of On the Line, Products Finishing looks back at what seemed like some of the most pertinent stories we covered during the course of the year. Topics included supply chain disruption, workforce issues and regulatory battles — issues that were top of mind for those in the surface finishing industry.

A number of factors have been driving the increasing adoption of IoT and automation technologies by surface finishing operations. In this episode of On the Line, we hear insights into automation trends for finishers from some of the exhibitors on the show floor at this year's FABTECH. Featured interviews include Derek DeGeest of DeGeest Corp., Rob Weber of Fischer Technology, Jacob Fortmeyer of Carlisle Fluid Technologies and Robert Ravensburgen of OmniRobotic. Each offer insights into what their companies are doing to address the factors that are driving the proliferation of automation solution for finishers.

As finishers struggle to stay afloat amidst supply chain shortages and price increases, Douglas Hughes, product manager wear resistant coatings for MacDermid Enthone and Coventya offers insights into the causes of the supply challenges metal finishers are facing, and discusses strategies for coping with the problem.

In this episode of On the Line, Michael Feldstein, president of Surface Technology Inc. (STI), the top-ranking 2021 Products Finishing Top Shop for the electroplating and anodizing benchmarking category, discusses STI's history of success and its approach to innovation.

From COVID to workforce to supply disruptions, the past year and a half has wreaked havoc with the flow of materials used for coatings. In this episode of On the Line, Products Finishing digs deeper into the supply chain woes that coaters are experiencing, specifically within the powder coating world, but also for manufacturing at large. Guests include Quint Towle, director of sales and marketing for Powder Technology Inc. and Michael Guckes, chief economist with Gardner Intelligence, the data and research arm of Gardner business media.