Building on Opportunity

By Sheila LaMothe

After spending a decade in the retail construction industry, Mike Russo was intrigued by the fast-growing powder coating market. Looking to start a custom coater business, Mike approached James Mooney, a former vendor, for startup and funding support. In 2005, they launched Twin City Powder Coating (TCPC), located in Lino Lakes, MN.

With an 8,000 square foot facility, a paint booth, and a 30-foot oven, the duo was off and powder coating, handling the work themselves until three employees were added in 2008 to assist with increasing demands. As business continued to grow, TCPC expanded their original facility from 8,000 square feet to 25,000 square feet and added dual 40-foot ovens along with dual coating booths that could support two operators.
Initially, Mike and James’ goal was to specialize in oversized steel parts up to 30 feet long with a focus on helping small fabricators and manufacturers, along with powder coating the occasional hotrod or motorcycle part. But as you will see, even the best laid plans can change.

A Swift Shift
The company quoted and coated a wide variety of projects, but one in particular drove a major and swift shift in focus for TCPC. The substrate for railings they had been coating changed from steel to aluminum. This was followed by RFQs for aluminum balconies and cladding, which led to architects looking for warranties. Recognizing that architectural coatings presented a significant growth opportunity for TCPC, in 2007 Mike made the decision to start working towards becoming an AAMA compliant applicator. This initiative resulted in an aluminum railing and decking manufacturer taking over the top spot as TCPC’s largest customer in less than a year, a position previously held by a steel snowplow manufacturer.

“Meeting AAMA specifications was a must if we were to keep up with increasing demand for longer warranties and establish ourselves as a powder coater of choice for architectural applications,” Mike explains. To achieve AAMA compliance, applicators must go through intensive testing set by each powder coating manufacturer, which typically includes line audits along with application and testing of coated panels and parts, all to make sure the applicator meets the specs. The first and most obvious place for TCPC to start this initiative was to invest heavily in their pretreatment process, adding a custom five-stage washer. After all, without a stellar pretreatment process, meeting AAMA specifications would be a pipe dream.

TCPC’s tenacity throughout the rigorous testing programs was rewarded with compliance for 2605 powders in 2018, reflecting their ability to consistently pretreat, apply, and cure powder coatings that will then meet or exceed the performance requirements of the AAMA specs. But as many know, meeting AAMA specifications is not a one and done deal. TCPC undergoes yearly testing with their powder vendors to ensure continued compliance with AAMA standards. This includes 2,000 hours of salt spray testing, as well as adhesion and chemical tests. “We’ve maintained approval with multiple major powder manufacturers so we can easily help our customers with just about any spec,” shares Mike. “We can offer 20-year warranties on 2604 powders and up to 30 years on 2605, and in some cases can provide LEED credits towards projects,” he adds.

By 2017, the volume of aluminum coating work coming through the doors drove yet another expansion. This time it was a second facility located on the Apollo Drive campus dedicated to architectural coatings, which is now TCPC’s core business. A high-volume automated powder coating system, able to process parts four feet wide by seven feet tall and 12 feet long, resides in the newest facility.

Not Just Another Pretty Façade
Peruse the photo gallery on TCPC’s website and you will no doubt be impressed by the architectural projects they’ve been involved with. Striking in size, design, and aesthetics, it leads one to wonder what types of challenges can arise. Customer Service Manager Hailey Blageo shares, “We work very closely with our customers on all projects, but especially those that are a bit more challenging, time sensitive, or unique.” With their large batch equipment, TCPC can process parts eight feet tall by 10 feet wide by 40 feet long. However, the company has been pushed to their size and weight limit on some unique projects.

Hailey recounted a particularly challenging project they coated for the Corn Palace in South Dakota. “We were asked to coat a massive cone with a base diameter that exceeded our oven opening,” she recalled. “There was no good way to hang or prep the piece either, at least not in a way we normally would,” she added. After some brainstorming, a new cart was designed and fabricated to handle the cone. An oven extension was also created so the part could be properly cured. “We do have tricks we can use to manipulate the parts so they can fit our size window. And, if there’s ever a question on if something is too big, we talk with the customer, ask for prints, and we get it figured out,” states Hailey.

Challenges can extend beyond size related issues. In 2020, TCPC helped a customer complete a project for the St. Pete Pier revitalization project in beautiful St. Petersburg, FL. “It was a highly time-sensitive project,” Hailey recalls. “We prepared ahead and were in constant contact with the customer. When the perforated panels arrived, we were ready.” They turned around an impressive 100,000 square feet of panels in just four days! Adhering to their high standards was crucial as the panels are located on a section of the pier surrounded on three sides by Tampa Bay, making them constantly subjected to salt water and the strong Florida sun. The ultimate test of AAMA 2605 compliance.

Taking it to the Next Level
To support the company’s continued growth, more than 20 people are now employed at TCPC. Recognizing that bringing on more talent brought with it a need to provide a higher level of training, TCPC joined PCI. Not long after, they put their membership to good use, sending four employees to Powder Coating Week 2023, where they took full advantage of all the event has to offer by participating in the Powder Coating 101 Workshop, attending the Powder Coating Technical Conference, and visiting with exhibitors during the Tabletop Exhibition. “There is still a lot of opportunity in understanding architectural powder coatings. Our goal is to continue educating architects and manufacturers on the benefits of high-performance coatings,” shares Mike. “To achieve this goal, we have to start with training and educating our own employees, and PCI assists with that effort.”

While architectural aluminum powder coating has become their largest segment of work, TCPC remains true to their roots, not losing sight of their original focus on powder coating large industrial parts. Having two facilities provides the flexibility for TCPC to meet most project demands. Hailey wraps it up perfectly, “Being a custom coating job shop, we take pride in being able to handle any opportunity that is presented to us, building relationships with our customers, and providing the best service possible.”

Sheila LaMothe is editor of Powder Coated Tough.