Posted in: Industry News
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Powder Perspective

Posted on Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Tonya Farmer Joins PCI as Operations & Events Director

Help us in welcoming Tonya Farmer to The Powder Coating Institute! Tonya has more than 17 years of successful experience as a meetings and events coordinator. Most recently she served as the Vice President of Training and Events for the Texas Credit Union League, a position she enthusiastically held from February 2005 to November 2012. Her responsibilities included the development and oversight of a $2.4 million budget, the oversight and management of a four-state CUNA management school, a staff of six, and the coordination of more than 80 well-attended training events per calendar year. In addition to the Texas Credit Union League, Tonya has prior work experience with the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association, American Golf Corporation, Boeing and Frito-Lay. Tonya is incisive, engaging and a collaborative leader. She’s a proven innovator with marketing and promotions, conference and tradeshow management, strategic planning, and curriculum development.

Tonya is a proud graduate of Texas Woman’s University. She is a Certified Meeting Planner and holds a certification in Business of Meetings from ASAE. In addition, she is a proud graduate of the Southwest CUNA Management School. Her long list of hobbies includes golf, softball, cooking, fishing, and joyful shared days at the lake with her golden retriever, Miloh.

Tonya can be reached at 832-585-0770 or via email at tfarmer@powdercoating.org.

Protech/Oxyplast Acquisitions

The Protech/Oxyplast Group of Montreal, Canada, recently announced two company acquisitions. First, they purchased the powder coating business and manufacturing assets of Innotek Powder Coatings of Big Spring Texas. Innotek is a well-recognized name within the powder coatings industry specializing in high-performance thermoplastic powder coatings. David Ades, managing director of Protech says, “Innotek’s leading thermoplastic technology is a great addition to our global business. It is complementary to our extensive thermoset powder coatings product range.”

Protech/Oxyplast Group also purchased the thermoplastic powder and liquid coatings businesses of the Thermoclad Company of Erie, Pa. Thermoclad is a global leader in the production and marketing of PVC powder coatings for fabricated metals such as fencing and dishwasher racks. The company also develops environmentally safe paints as well as other thermoplastics such as nylon and co-polyesters. “Thermoclad’s leading position in thermoplastics and especially PVC powder coatings will add a new dimension to our growing powder business. We are excited about the opportunities and synergies which will be generated,” Ades says. Protech will maintain Thermoclad’s liquid and powder manufacturing operations in Erie, Pa.

George Koch Sons Acquires Price Industries

George Koch Sons LLC, Evansville, Ind., a subsidiary of Koch Enterprises Inc., has announced it will acquire Price Industries, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company with more than 30 years of experience providing material handling systems to the aerospace, automotive, industrial, military and agriculture industries around the world. The systems are used to automate material flow during surface treatments such as plating, cleaning or chemical processing of manufactured parts. Price Industries will become part of George Koch Sons and will continue to serve its growing customer base from its existing Grand Rapids, Mich., facilities.

“We look forward to leveraging our combined years of experience in finishing systems to provide our customers with the best integrated solutions. Our combined systems play a critical role in providing industry leading manufacturers the solutions necessary to remain competitive by reducing factory costs through automation, material optimization and efficient labor allocation,” says Chris Brack, George Koch Sons’ president. “The combination was a natural fit as we continue to invest in additional capabilities to enhance our solution offering in finishing systems. The marketplace is demanding more and more capabilities from one turn-key supplier and Price Industries’ capabilities will augment our core offering and ultimately provide our customers access to the market’s broadest suite of solutions.”

“We share a customer-first philosophy with George Koch Sons and are pleased to become a part of the company to best serve our customers,” says Robert Price, Price Industries president. “We are confident that together, we can provide even better solutions to assist manufacturers in managing their complex production programs.” Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Coral Earns Recognition as John Deere “Partner-level Supplier”

Coral Chemical Co., Zion, Ill., has earned recognition as a Partnerlevel supplier for 2012 in the John Deere Achieving Excellence Program. The Partner-level status is Deere & Company’s highest supplier rating. Coral was selected for the honor in recognition of its dedication to providing products and service of outstanding quality as well as its commitment to continuous improvement. Company employees accepted the recognition during formal ceremonies held on March 5, 2013, in Davenport, Iowa.

Coral Chemical Company is a supplier of metal pretreatment solutions to John Deere’s operations in Moline, Ill.; Dubuque, Iowa; Horicon, Wis.; Thibodaux, La.; Greeneville, Tenn; Ankeny, Iowa; and East Moline, Ill. Coral Chemical Company also supplies some of John Deere’s international plants in Monterrey, Ramos Arizpe and Saltillo, Mexico; Getafe, Spain; and Manheim, Germany (with its partner, Chemishe Werke Kluthe GmbH, of Heidelberg, Germany).

Suppliers who participate in the Achieving Excellence program are evaluated annually in several key performance categories, including quality, cost management, delivery, technical support and wavelength, which is a measure of responsiveness. John Deere Supply Management created the program in 1991 to provide a supplier evaluation and feedback process that promotes continuous improvement.

To learn more about Coral’s pretreatment solutions, call 800-228-4646, or visit www.coral.com.

Mark Your Calendars: October 8-10

Don’t miss it! POWDER COATING 2013 will be at America’s Center in St. Louis from October 8-10. This show has been formulated to serve companies whose primary business is powder coating or those who are looking to use powder coating in the future. Already recognized as the leading resource for technical and applied technology forums as well as new product innovations and developments, this is your single best opportunity to meet and interact with the leading professionals from the powder coating industry.

POWDER COATING 2013 provides exceptional opportunities to make face-to-face contact with key coating professionals as well as introduce attendees to education and current and future trends. The event offers an in-depth and comprehensive technical program led by key representatives in the powder coating industry.

Technical Conference. Innovation, strategy and solutions to your manufacturing challenges are presented with more than 56 hours and 60 sessions on topics such as new powder coating technologies, productivity gains in powder coating, coating expense reduction and much, much more specifically geared to the powder coating industry.

Targeted Audience and Networking Solutions. Attendees and exhibitors have only one goal: to enhance their knowledge and understanding of powder coatings. POWDER COATING 2013 recognizes that networking with a diverse group of professionals is essential. In 2013, social events include Show Floor Happy Hours, Hospitality Reception and Live Auction, all designed to bring professions together in an informal setting. You will have the chance to interact with 1,500+ attendees such as coating engineers, finishing professionals, contractors and applicators, quality control managers and corporate decision makers.

Resources from The Powder Coating Institute. Only the industry’s major trade organization can bring together the leading experts in the industry. PCI® brings experience from hundreds of hours of workshops all over the country, as well as its partners from manufacturing to consulting, to produce a first-class, must-attend event. Visit www.powdercoatingshow.com to register and for more information.