Membership Memo—Educating the Industry

My introduction to PCI began almost immediately after I became a formulator for powder coatings 13 years ago. I would attend the Powder Coating Show and participate in the many webinars that are hosted each year. In 2022, I was asked to join the Education Committee and became an authorized speaker for the Powder Coating 101 and 202 Workshops. As a member of the Education Committee, I get a firsthand look at how much effort is put into curating content by experts from all aspects of the industry, from powder manufacturers to end users. It is important to note that the Education Committee is only one of several that members can join.

As a Powder Coating 101 Workshop host, we are given opportunities to collaborate with different suppliers, which benefits powder coaters and the industry as a whole. The workshops are a great place to learn best practices and improve existing systems and procedures. Each workshop has an opportunity to engage in hands-on experience, from tours to spraying powder.

This year was a year of firsts for me. I attended my first Powder Coating Week in Orlando and my first PCI Annual Meeting, which was held in Savannah. Powder Coating Week is an all-encompassing event that has something for everyone, whether you are brand new to powder coating or a seasoned veteran.

The highlight of the year for me was the PCI Annual Meeting. The general sessions were informative and covered relevant topics. Business and education were mixed with social events providing an opportunity to network with other members. The team building scavenger hunt through beautiful historic Savannah gave us the chance to engage in some friendly competition while providing an opportunity to see some of the city sights.

My favorite part of the meeting was what has affectionately become known as “the draft” portion of the Education Committee meeting. This is when the locations and presenters for the following year’s Powder Coating 101 and 202 Workshops are chosen. The enthusiasm shown by everyone involved in the draft shows how valuable these workshops are.

I left the Annual Meeting having benefited from the general sessions and new industry connections as a result of the different types of activities that were offered. I look forward to attending next year and encourage all PCI members to join us.

Joanie Ahlers is powder research and development manager for Diamond Vogel, Inc.