Make an Impact

By Trena Benson

I'm writing this on the Sunday of the 2017 Masters Tournament. Prior to the start of today’s play, the broadcasting station showed a very moving tribute from Phil Mickelson about the late Arnold Palmer. This is the first Masters in many, many years without the very special, revered golf legend. But Arnie’s skills, handiwork and heart will forever be imbedded in the professional golfing world, impacting those who follow.

I wonder: Do we stop to think long enough about the impact we have on the success of others? Where would we be without events that bring us together as an industry? It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many kind, helpful and talented people in the powder coating industry. And at each event, I meet new folks, adding to the satisfaction and honor that I feel to be a part of this industry.

I believe that investing our time and energy into building industry connections is one of the most important business and career-building activities we can practice. Not only do we benefit with our own professional growth, but we bring added value to our organizations. At these events, you can potentially learn of a new way for your organization to grow its bottom line, to improve its process or quality, or to fix an existing problem.

We’ve just come from PCI’s Powder Coating 2017 Technical Conference. Whew! The entire week was a fusion of events, starting with PCI’s Powder Coating 101 Workshop. The technical conference took place in the middle of the week and we ended with the Custom Coater Forum. See page 17 for a wrap-up of the week. We all know that events like these don’t come together without a great deal of teamwork, and I’d like to thank the PCI staff, our PCI board of directors, and all the many volunteers and sponsors who helped to make the week a success. Thank you all for your dedication to the education and growth of our industry.

From June 19-22, we will host the PCI Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M., (about a 30-minute drive north of the Albuquerque airport). This year, we will again co-locate the event with CCAI’s Annual Meeting. It will be another great industry event with so many opportunities to learn about your association(s) and network with industry peers during the myriad activities we have planned as well as optional opportunities to enjoy the beautiful destination. We encourage you to join us there—and bring your families if you like! It would be a great time to begin your involvement with our committees—Certification, Education, Membership and Promotions—where you can surely make an impact on the future of the powder coating industry. Check out the details on our website www.powdercoating.org. We hope to see you in New Mexico!