- 01 April 2008 -
It’s Getting Close to Show Time!
Spring is here, which means SUR/FIN 2008 is just around the corner. The National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF) is organizing an event built around comprehensive conference programming complemented by a two-day exhibition showcasing a smorgasbord of surface finishing processes, equipment, products, and services....more
- 03 March 2008 -
Customer Service is King
No business, whatever its size, can afford to take customers for granted. In order to remain successful, you must give your customers what they want—not what you think they want....more
- 04 February 2008 -
Which Candidate is Good for Small Business?
An overview of the platforms for leading Democrat and GOP contenders reveals varying views on how each proposes to create new jobs, break down trade barriers, and stimulate economic growth. The question is, which one has the best interests of small businesses in mind?...more
- 04 December 2007-
We Have a lot to be Thankful for
With the Holiday Season is upon us—a time for counting our many blessings—I wanted to take the time to give thanks to our loyal advertisers, our readers, and the entire staff at Metal Finishing magazine...more
- 05 October 2007 -
Metal Finishing Launches First Webinar
On Thurs., Oct. 18, at 2 p.m. EST, Metal Finishing—in association with DUX Area, Inc.— will launch its first Webinar. The 60-minute program will focus on how new green spray technology can reduce emissions and increase profits for surface finishers...more
- 31 August 2007 -
A ‘New Attitude’ Made All the Difference at SUR/FIN
The National Association for Surface Finishing—organizers of SUR/FIN—did a phenomenal job in turning around a trade show that had fallen upon hard times. The organization moved forward with an aggressive marketing campaign that gave ample reasons for all industry members to attend...more
- 11 June 2007 -
Technical Assistance at Your Fingertips
Metal Finishing has launched “Ask the Experts,” an interactive online program now available on our Web site. This special service, brought to you by Metal Finishing in association with industry suppliers such as MacDermid, provides finishers with a vehicle for getting quick answers to concerns, problems, and other challenging technical issues...more
- 09 May 2007 -
Finish Line: Economist Offers Cloudy Forecast for Industry
Jeremy Leonard, an economic consultant at the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, painted a cloudy forecast for the U.S. industrial sector during his remarks at the recent Washington Forum...more
-12 March 2007 -
Transforming Your Niche into a 'Sweet Spot'
I just returned from the first NASF Management Conference, where I had the opportunity to sit in on some interesting educational seminars. One of the more interesting talks was delivered by Robert Gordman, author of the book titled, "The Must-Have Customer—7 Steps to Winning the Customer You Haven't Got." The primary objective of Gordman's presentation was to inspire attendees to start thinking about how they can either turn a niche into a sweet spot, or study the marketplace to identify an untapped sweet spot for the long term...more
- 06 February 2007 -
Key Economic Indicators Point in the Right Direction
The surface finishing industry is primed for another good year, based on newly released economic indicators. What amounts to mostly positive news caps off a month of reports showing the economy is bouncing back from last year's slowdown without an accompanied surge in prices...more
- 11 January 2007 -
A New Year’s Resolution to Expand Market Coverage
One of Metal Finishing's main resolutions in 2007 is to enhance its market coverage to provide readers with even more frequent reporting of new technical and business developments, hot topics, and issues affecting our industry...more
- 04 December 2006 -
Giving Thanks During the Holiday Season
The holiday season is my favorite time of the year. I've always looked at it as a time to give thanks for our blessings, both personal and professional, and a time to huddle with family members, whether it's over Thanksgiving Day dinner, celebrating upcoming religious holidays, or watching bowl games on New Year's Day...more
- 02 November 2006 -
Web Site Changes to Better Meet Your Information Needs
One of the benefits of being affiliated with an $8-billion publishing company, Reed Elsevier, is we have the ability to leverage our corporate capabilities to provide additional benefits to our readers. Over the past few months, we have tapped into the resources of our IT department to refine this Web site to offer visitors additional opportunities for suppliers to reach their customer base...more
- 03 October 2006 -
My Questions Were Answered at SUR/FIN
When you think back to last fall, as preparations began for organizing SUR/FIN 2006, expectations were tempered for several reasons. For starters, some industry members questioned whether Milwaukee would be a viable venue. Others questioned the wisdom of holding SUR/FIN every year. And still others wondered whether the Powder Coating show—which overlapped the exhibit and conference dates of SUR/FIN—would siphon attendance...more
- 06 September 2006 -
China Remains at the Forefront of Finisher's Minds
We're nearly three-quarters of the way through 2006 and, by all accounts, this has been a good year for the metal finishing industry. Traditional economic indicators are holding steady, raw material and energy prices continue to fluctuate, but not nearly at the levels previously seen, and a spot survey of surface finishing raw materials and equipment providers indicates most companies' customer bases remain largely intact despite increasing challenges from off-shore competition...more
- 07 August 2006 -
New Editor Joins Metal Finishing Team
I have some great news to share with all of you regarding Metal Finishing magazine: We have hired a new and experienced editor, Reginald Tucker, who will help us expand our editorial coverage of the marketplace and ensure this publication is produced accurately and on time...more
- 30 May 2006 -
Looking for Answers? Find Them at SUR/FIN
You probably noticed that we have been running a monthly "Countdown to SUR/FIN" column that reports on everything from new show features/benefits to the many attractions offered by the host city of Milwaukee. This month's story provides you with updated information on the comprehensive SUR/FIN technical conference...more
- 28 April 2006 -
Metal, Energy Prices Weigh Heavily on Minds
Still reeling from skyrocketing energy prices, the U.S. metal finishing industry is now being stung by rising metal prices. The limited supply and increased demand for various metals has resulted in higher costs, which are beginning to be passed through the supply chain...more
- 03 April 2006 -
New Hex Chrome PEL: Can You Comply?
Surface finishers are finding the new hex chrome PEL ruling akin to taking the SAT exam: Lots of questions and uncertain answers...more
- 01 March 2006 -
UV-cured Coatings Take Hold in Surface Finishing
I recently attended the winter meeting of RadTech, the association that promotes ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) technology in North America. RadTech officials are busy planning the e5 UV & EB Expo & Conference, which runs April 24 to 26 at Lakeside Center, McCormick Place, in Chicago. e5 is an acronym for the primary advantages radiation curing technology offers end users: efficient, enabling, economical, energy saving, and enviro-friendly...more
- 01 February 2006 -
Congratulations to the 2005 POY Award Winners
We are pleased to announce the recipients of our second annual People of the Year (POY) Awards, which recognizes two individuals who made a significant impact in the metal finishing industry in 2005. Congratulations to Mike Kelly, vice president, ASKO Processing (Seattle), and Christian Richter, a principal at Navista and founder of The Policy Group (Washington). The two winners will receive their awards at an upcoming industry event...more
- 05 January 2006 -
2006 Shaping Up as a Good Year for Industry
Our annual "Review and Forecast" story provides a snap shot of major issues that affected the surface finishing industry last year and offers predictions for 2006. Many of the factors that impacted business in 2005—such as regulatory compliance, foreign competition, rising energy and raw material prices—are expected to carry over into the New Year. What we found is surface finishing is experiencing many of the same challenges and issues as other U.S. industries...more
- 06 December 2006 -
A Report from SFCHINA
We just came back from attending the SFCHINA show held last month in Shanghai, where we learned a great deal about the Chinese surface finishing industry. What we found is a marketplace starving for the latest technical information as it attempts to keep up with a country that continues to build an infrastructure for three-billion-plus people...more
- 02 November 2005 -
Association Consolidation: It's a Good Thing
Consolidation talks between the three leading industry trade associations are
heating up following the historic "Chicago Retreat" held in late September.
There, a "blackjack" committee of 21 members—seven each from the
American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers (AESF), Metal Finishing Suppliers'
Association (MFSA), and National Association of Metal Finishers (NAMF)—
attended two days of facilitated meetings to create the framework for a single,
unified trade association...more
- 04 October 2005 -
Katrina's Lesson: Disaster Planning is Critical
Our cover story ("Down But Not Out") reports on how the surface finishing industry is coping with the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. While the Southeast is not considered a hot bed for metal finishing—it represents less than 10 percent of industry sales—there is no question that a number of job and captive shops felt the wrath of these deadly storms...more
- 29 August 2005 -
'Lean Thinking' Trims the Fat from Your Operations
Lean manufacturing's success in metal finishing supports the view that systematic elimination of wasteful actions will not only produce a high level of throughput with minimum inventory, but is a significant key to profitability. The concept is seen by some job and captive shops as a key survival tool in an industry that has seen its ranks shrink over the past few years due largely to competitive forces, most notably foreign competition...more
- 02 August 2005 -
Getting a Better Understanding of Your Information Needs
The surface finishing industry is changing rapidly and in a number of ways. This creates many challenges and opportunities for job and captive shops who are seeking information that will help them meet their business objectives...more
- 01 June 2005 -
How You Can Stay on Top of the News
The latest market research indicates there is a strong demand for information on new developments impacting metal finishers. Our editorial staff surfs the Net daily for news, advice and data to keep you up to date about the general goings-on in the industry...more
- 05 May 2005 -
Why the Industy Should Get Together
The economic boom of the 1990s gave companies the financial room to feature splashy and large exhibits at trade shows and entertain clients lavishly and often...more
- 01 April 2005 -
NAMF Celebrates Golden Anniversary in Style
The National Association of Metal Finishers' (NAMF) 50th Anniversary Convention was a smashing success...more
- 04 March 2005 -
Finishers Bite the Bullet on Materials Price Hikes
Facing the worst of possible worlds—weak demand and high feedstock costs—raw materials suppliers say the price increases through which the industry has suffered are necessary to maintain profitability...more
- 01 February 2005 -
Automating a More Encouraging Bottom Line
Where robots once had the image of eliminating jobs through labor reduction, they are now seen as an opportunity to not only save manufacturing jobs, but create opportunities for skilled individuals to operate and maintain them...more
- 01 January 2005 -
China Trade Imbalance Hits Home
There is probably no topic in the metal finishing industry that incites more emotion or distress than the challenge presented by the U.S. trade balance (or imbalance)...more
- 1 December 2004 -
Awards Program Honors Industry MVPs
The metal finishing industry is constantly evolving, with new products, technologies, and business strategies under development each year...more
- 26 Oct 2004-
Our Commitment to Excellence
Greg Valero, our new Editor and Publisher, introduces himself to the metal finishing community and previews what you can expect from Metal Finishing in the coming months...more
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