- 13 May 2008 -
Profiles Tell the Story—Yours

Please allow me to use this space to mark a noteworthy milestone at Metal Finishing magazine: It’s just over a year since the launch of our Platers/Painters Profile series.

From the kick-off profile featuring Bernie Tucker, of Tucker Industrial Liquid Coatings (MF, March 2007), to the article chronicling the four decades-long progression of Master Metal Finishers (MF, March 2008), we’ve delivered rare insights into nearly a half-dozen surface finishing operations. Over the past 13 months we’ve had the opportunity to visit some of the finest coating, plating, and painting facilities in the country. These range from one-shift, just-in-time specialized job shops to 100,000-plus-square-foot outfits offering a diverse plate of finishing services.

While I’m always dazzled by the high level of manufacturing innovation, efficiency, and creativity I’ve seen first-hand at many of these finishing facilities, I’m similarly impressed by the “human element”—the expertise, dedication, and work ethic that so many finishing shop employees exhibit on a daily basis. As many in this industry can attest, this is far-from-glamorous work. But it’s important work—work that impacts the lives of ordinary people doing ordinary things every day. From the faucets we use each morning to lather up, to the cars or planes we utilize for travel, to the computers, laptops, and music players we use on a daily basis (I think you get the picture), surface finishing touches virtually every aspect of our lives, without us even having to spend any time thinking about it.

Beyond the technological aspects of these articles, there’s also a relevant business component. Many of the company principals we’ve interviewed have been gracious enough to share best practices (barring proprietary processes, of course). My hope is that by keeping up with the Profile series, at least some finishers have gleaned various operational tips by seeing how the “other finisher” is doing it. Or perhaps by hearing one finisher’s story it helps some struggling platers and coaters benchmark and confirm that they’re not alone in the challenges facing industry at large.

Case in point: Warren, Mich.–based Cadillac Plating (MF, July/August, 2007). Despite an incredibly turbulent climate created by the plight of the nation’s largest automotive manufacturers, this finisher isn’t waiting for the bottom of the market to fall out. Instead, it is pursuing (and obtaining) certifications to coat parts for several “transplant” operations. Ditto for cross-town competitor Cadon Plating & Coatings, which is also aggressively diversifying.

Then there are the anecdotes provided by firms such as Brillion, Wis.–based Pro Plating (MF, October 2007) and the aforementioned Master Metal Finishers. These cases are both shining examples of surface finishing companies that are significantly investing in their businesses at a juncture when tough economic times have spurred some to retrench or abandon ship altogether. The investments, they say, reflect their confidence that they will be able to make the necessary adjustments to remain not only viable but profitable.