Membership Memo: Don't Be a Poser
Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2017
By: Nick Liberto
Our company joined PCI in 1989, back then we were
the “newbie” in an industry that was expanding
rapidly but was still very immature. It sometimes felt
like the Wild West back then, where “gunslinger”
companies were entering this burgeoning market with
products, materials, chemicals, and services that often
promised more than they could deliver. Joining PCI
then was an important way to separate your company
from the other “posers” to show you were an entity
that was committed to giving back to the industry that
had provided you the opportunity to be successful.
This feeling of commitment was the original basis
of all the educational opportunities that PCI still
offers today. Even though the market has matured
significantly, these PCI programs are constantly updated
to reflect the new trends and product designs that have
continued to make this industry relevant to today’s fastpaced
and highly technical manufacturing sector.
In 1989, it was all about the “Five Es of Powder
Coating” (economy, ecological, use less energy, efficient
operation, and excellent finish). Now, it is all about lean
manufacturing, green technologies, high performance
coatings, and highly automated application. PCI’s
technical conferences, workshop programs, webinars,
publications, and this magazine all reflect this change.
Our company has actively participated in the
educational, marketing, and regulatory committees,
as well as the technical forums for the last 28 years.
We developed long-term relationships with member
companies who our clients have depended on for
high quality products and services. We learn about
technologies that are being developed and the trends
that drive customer buying decisions. We bring our
client’s perspective to these conversations to help refine
these offerings to be market-ready. This give-and-take
dynamic improves both the products themselves and
customer acceptance.
So, if you make a living in the powder coating
industry, what better way could you have to tell your
customers—both current and future—that you are
committed to them and the industry than to join PCI?
Of course, if you want to stay a poser, you may just end
up on the “boot hill” of the powder coating industry
where all the other gunslingers are buried.
Nick Liberto, P.E., is president of Powder Coating
Consultants, division of Ninan Inc. He can be reached at
nliberto@powdercc.com.