By: Sharon Spielman
PCI’s Board of Directors, Executive Officers for 2017
Effective January 1, 2017, the
Powder Coating Institute (PCI)
proudly recognizes its current board
of directors and executive officers.
Our association is very fortunate to
have the leadership of the following
individuals:
President: Ron Cudzilo, George Koch Sons
Vice President: Chris Merritt, Gema USA
Secretary/Treasurer: Greg Dawson, Nordson Corp.
Past President: John Sudges, Midwest Finishing Systems
PCI Executive Director Trena
Benson remarks, “We welcome our
two new board members for 2017—
Kevin Coursin, Engineered Finishing
Systems, and Mark Mortensen,
All-Color Powder Coating. They
both bring a wealth of experience
and passion to our efforts. We are
appreciative of the entire board, the
face of PCI, for their dedication not
only to PCI, but the industry as a
whole.”
In addition to the officers, serving
on the Board of Directors for 2017
are: John Cole, president, Parker
Ionics; Kevin Coursin, president,
Engineered Finishing Systems; Craig
Dietz, product manager, Axalta
Coating Systems; Steve Kiefer,
powder coatings business director,
Powder Coatings N.A., Akzo Nobel
Coatings Inc.; Mark Mortensen,
president, All-Color Powder Coating,
Inc.; Suresh Patel, business manager,
General Industry, Chemetall US Inc.;
Paul West, director of marketing, Sun
Polymers International Inc.; and PCI
legal counsel, David Goch, partner,
Webster, Chamberlain & Bean.
Visit www.powdercoating.org for
more about PCI.
Metalworking Plant Opens in Walworth, N.Y.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
announced the opening of a new
McAlpin Industries manufacturing
plant in the town of Walworth,
Wayne County, N.Y. The familyowned
metal working company
will also continue its operations
in Rochester, where it has been
headquartered for more than 50
years and employs 148 workers.
The new, 120,000 square
foot manufacturing plant and
warehousing facility will allow the
company to create at least 24 new
full time jobs.
Lieutenant Governor Kathy
Hochul, who attended the ribbon cutting, says, “After
a half-century in business, McAlpin is expanding in
Walworth and strengthening its commitment to the
entire Finger Lakes region.”
Economic support and assistance from local and state
agencies allowed this project to move forward. Empire
State Development will provide McAlpin Industries
up to $400,000 in performance-based Excelsior
Jobs Program tax credits in return for job creation
commitments. The investment from McAlpin Industries
totals roughly $5.8 million.
The new plant will be home to metal stamping,
robotic welding and powder coating operations as
the company expands its assembly and warehousing
functions. The new plant is located at 856 State Route
441 in Walworth.
Axalta Employees, GoBabyGo! Customize Cars for
Toddlers with Special Mobility Needs
Employees of Axalta Coating
Systems, in collaboration with
GoBabyGo!, a national program
from the University of Delaware that
empowers children with disabilities
to become independently mobile
through the use of custom-fitted
motorized vehicles, retrofitted and
presented six families with customized
toy cars that address each toddler’s
specific mobility needs. During the
event, employees met with each
child and his/her family to identify
the vehicle customization and then
celebrated as the children took their
first lap in their new ride.
“We are honored to take part in
such a heartwarming experience that
is rewarding for our employees as
well as the families involved,” says
Michael Bollan, Axalta North America
business director. “Working with the
GoBabyGo! organization provides
an opportunity for our team to use
their science and technology skills in
a creative way, while helping families
from our own community.”
The vehicles were decorated to
match the unique personality of each
child and then test driven for fit and
comfort by the children. Retrofitted
cars promote independent mobility,
which helps to develop cognitive,
social, motor, and language skills in
younger children who are not able to
freely move on their own.
GoBabyGo! began in 2006 at the
University of Delaware as a program
created by Dr. Cole Galloway to give
children with spina bifida, cerebral
palsy, down syndrome and other
mobility disabilities the opportunity
to socialize and move around with
their siblings and peers. The program
connects local clinics across the
United States who have children in
need with sponsors who create free
custom GoBabyGo! cars as a team
building exercise.
“The same joy and excitement
experienced by every dancer or
musician, astronaut or athlete can be
seen in newly mobile children,” says
Dr. Galloway. “Fun is key here—it
unlocks brain development and
exploratory drive for the child, and
it ignites active, engaged play from
adults and peers.”
To learn more about GoBabyGo!
visit www.udel.edu/gobabygo.
AFA, NOMMA Partnered for FENCETECH/METALfab Show
The American Fence Association
(AFA) and the National Ornamental
and Miscellaneous Metals Association
(NOMMA) partnered up to co-locate
their two shows in San Antonio this
past February 1-5.
The co-location allowed attendees
to find the industry’s products and
services, and gain professional
development, as well as a place to
celebrate what the industry has to
offer. The environment was reported
to be conducive to collaboration and
community.
The co-location was designed to
create an offering where the associations
could show more aspects of the fence
and metals industry under one roof so
that attendees could come together and
go between the two.
The co-located events were a onestop
shop for decision makers this past
year and will be again next winter. Mark
your calendars for February 7-9, 2018,
when the event will be in Phoenix.
In Memorium
Jim Dwyer
Former PCI member, Jim Dwyer, age 61, of
Westfield, N.Y., died Saturday, December 10, 2016,
at Absolut Care of Westfield, N.Y., following a brief
illness. Jim worked for PCI member company Pratt
& Lambert and was very active in the late 1980s
and early 1990s before being injured in a bicycle
accident that prevented him from returning to the
industry.
Those who remember Jim will recall that he was
an avid Buffalo sports fan, always rooting for the
Bills and Sabres. He had a passion for his Fantasy
Football hobby; however, his greatest love was
for his daughters, grandchildren and family. Jim,
along with PCI board member Jim St. John, worked
tirelessly in the early days of PCI to move our
association ahead.
Bill Ball
William Amos Ball, (Bill Ball) of Thomasville,
N.C., passed away February 8, 2017, in High Point
Regional Hospital at the age of 84. Bill was born
October 27, 1932, in the Dabney Community of
Vance County, N.C. He was the son of William
Amos Ball and Ida Hazel Breedlove Ball, both
deceased. He graduated from Henderson High
School and UNC Chapel Hill. He served in the U.S.
Coast Guard four years aboard the rescue ship, the
USCGC Agassiz. Bill was always an entrepreneur
having started as many as six businesses beginning
at the age of 19. At the time of his passing, he
served as CEO of Air Power, Inc., founded in 1967,
and president of Production Systems, Inc., founded
in 1972.
On December 24, 1952, Bill married Alice
Minelle Fort Ball, who survives at their present
residence after 64 years of marriage. He is survived
by sons Brian Timothy (Lisa) of High Point,
William, Jr. (Dianne) of Trinity, Christopher Brooks
of Trinity, and daughter Alyssa Ball of Thomasville,
and grandchildren, Brandon, Lauren, Blair, Brian II,
Caleb, Christopher II, Cameron and Alyvia Troxler.
He is also survived by his beloved sister Mary Jane
Hicks of Oxford, N.C., and many nieces, nephews
and cousins residing in Granville County, N.C.
Online condolences may be directed to the Ball
family at www.jcgreenandsons.com.
Say Hello to PCI’s Newest Members
Auxiliary Equipment
Dynamic Software Solutions
Niceville, FL • 850-389-8374
www.getdwos.com
Uniform Technology
Longmont, CO • 303-774-7747
www.uniformtechnology.com
VRSim, Inc.
East Hartford, CT • 860-893-0080
www.vrsim.com
Custom Coater
Seamless Powdercoating
New Bedford, MA • 508-644-2878
www.seamlesspowdercoating.com
OEM
Nashville Wire Products
Nashville, TN • 615-743-2525
www.nashvillewire.com
Powder Producer
IFS Coatings
Gainesville, TX • 866-437-2864
www.ifscoatings.com
Raw Materials
Atbeen Group Inc.
Toronto, ON • 647-350-1199
www.atbeen.ca
Teknor Apex
Lincoln, MA • 401-642-3753
www.teknorapex.com
Systems House & Curing
Blasdel Enterprises, Inc.
Greensburg, IN • 800-661-3213
www.blasdel.net
Hedson Technologies North America
Oakvill, ON • 905-339-2800
www.hedsonna.com
PCI® Diamond Membership
KREMLIN REXSON, SAMES Merge to Become SAMES KREMLIN
The companies announce that after many
years of working together in the same group,
KREMLIN REXSON and SAMES have decided
to increase their synergies by merging within the
EXEL Industries Group. The new company name
is SAMES KREMLIN.
The new CEO of SAMES KREMLIN, Cédric
Perres, will lead the global development of the
organization following these strategic lines of
action:
- Making manufacturers more competitive with a wide range of products, solutions, and services while delivering enhanced performance.
- Bonding, Protecting, Beautifying are our focused missions in any industrial process worldwide.
The company has also launched its newly
designed global website at www.sameskremlin.
com, with a new design that allows
for streamlined menus, clear navigation, and a
responsive layout for all platforms with improved
structure of our content.
JR Custom Metal Products Hosts Open House
JR Custom Metal Products (JRCM) in Wichita, Kan., held an
open house in January to show off its facility expansion and new
powder coating system, designed and installed by IntelliFinishing.
PCI’s Executive Director, Trena Benson, attended and spoke at
the event, which had “a great crowd,” according to Benson.
Jesus Raul Martinez, Sr., started JRCM in his garage in 1974.
His equipment consisted of one welder, one press brake and his
hand tools. The one-man shop has grown to one of Wichita’s
leading family-owned businesses.
The open house showcased the new powder coating system,
which features recipes to vary the processes based on the
individual
parts; zone
control to vary
conveyor speeds,
independent of
the system; large
data storage; and a
dual-lane oven to
allow for different
cure time,
depending on the
part’s thickness.
Sharon Spielman is editor of Powder Coated Tough magazine. She can be reached via email at sspielman@powdercoating.org.