Membership Memo—True Benefits

When I began my career at True Manufacturing Company over 20 years ago, I had no clue what powder coating was. With two powder coating lines onsite, I quickly began learning everything I could about powder coating, relying on technical representatives, published guidebooks, trade magazines, technical conferences and shows, webinars, etc. The Powder Coating Institute became my and True’s go-to resource for powder coating support.

As an OEM, we have found tremendous value in being a PCI member. The network of industry professionals in equipment, powder coatings, and cleaning and pretreatment chemistry have led to many great conversations. Members of True’s paints and finishings team have attended PCI’s webinars as well as the Powder Coating 101 and 202 Workshops. The gathering of these industry experts in a setting that provides unbiased information really speaks to PCI’s mission of promoting the benefits of powder coating technology. We’ve found that PCI members are eager to answer questions and provide guidance after the events are over.

Powder Coating Week is always a highlight for our team. The variety of technical conference sessions available provides opportunities for growth and learning for seasoned powder coating personnel as well as those new to the industry. The sessions are great for learning the fundamentals of powder coating as well as new and emerging technologies, and hearing refreshers on best practices. Exploring the tabletop exhibits has led us to new powder and chemical suppliers, allowed us to interact with new equipment, and introduced us to new testing equipment. Powder Coating Week also provides great networking opportunities to meet other coaters as well as catch up with those we’ve met and worked with over the years.

Engagement and being active within PCI have provided us the confidence to expand our coatings offerings and bring many coating processes in-house. With knowledge and the right partners, we’ve installed two more large powder coating lines in our facilities. We have improved and better understand the quality specifications of our products, enabling us to provide products to best meet specific customer requirements.

We are grateful for the support we have received from PCI over the years and highly recommend all OEMs become active members and engage with the network of PCI members.

Rebecca Keithley is paint and coatings manager at True Manufacturing Co., Inc.