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Material Insights

Engage customers for the right finishing order

Do you spend more time talking about you’re capabilities than asking questions? If you’re not engaging with customers around their very individual finishing problems you’re simply adding to them. Change your habits and you’ll build stronger, longer-lasting relationships and you will attract more business in the process. Standing out from your competition comes with the package. Stop taking orders ...
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End-users Drive RV Market—2 Trends Secure It

The market for RVs virtually left the highway in 2009 when shipments dropped to below $5 billion from a high of nearly $15 billion in 2006.* But in a steady turn, the industry has enjoyed substantial momentum in the 3 years since 2009. The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) is projecting shipments to reach $11.7 billion in 2013. In the first five months of 2013, RVIA reported ...
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What Difference Does Your Finishing Business Make?

Looking for an extra edge? The finishing business is like a house of cards—an achievement of delicate balance in spite of facing an array of factors stacked against you. Change the smallest thing and you risk the calamity of total failure. Yet conversely, the smallest incremental competitive difference can yield a huge and positive impact on your outcomes. In fact, when you’re challenged, chan...
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Mistake 5: Choosing a Coating That Has More Features than You Need

By Les Yoder, Account Executive While we don’t think you should choose a coating based on price alone, we want you to be as profitable as possible. That means avoiding spending money on coatings that deliver more bells and whistles than your project requires. Potential risks You want to deliver an end product that is high quality and competitive in the market. If you waste money choos...
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Mistake 4: Making Decisions Based Solely on Price Per Gallon

By Les Yoder, Account Executive From our experience working with and evaluating coating manufacturers and their products, the old adage holds true: you get what you pay for. In this market, it’s tempting to go with a paint that is a few dollars cheaper than another one, but that isn’t always the best idea. Potential Risks To use a wood example, you can take the best built piece of furnitu...
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Two Finishing Problems, One Real Solution

In the finishing business, there are essentially two kinds of inevitable problems, the good ones and the bad ones. A good problem is an opportunity to up-sell additional value or an opportunity to venture product where you’ve had no previous experience. Of course a bad problem is a persistent one that usually involves excessive waste or rejection on a job you that do have. In either case, I wo...
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Aluminum Adhesive Technologies are Industry Game Changers

By Vince Todd, Jr., Vice President In an effort to build lighter, more fuel-efficient cars, automotive manufacturers are turning to aluminum to achieve a 50+ mile per gallon (MPG) fuel economy target. While aluminum companies have long pushed for their metal to replace steel in vehicle manufacturing, one of the biggest obstacles has been how well aluminum parts stick to the rest of the car. In ...
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Reclaimed wood is a “feel good” industry with patina to spare

The reclaimed wood industry is a classic niche, dominated by small yet industrious entrepreneurs. I’d characterize some of the better ones as outdoorsy artisans. A unique breed who regard their occupation as a “feel good” business. They care about the environment, are stubborn about sustainability, and generally seem to love a good adventure. To play in this rugged category requires a passion ...
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Finishers. What’s next?

Good news. Many markets are fertile for expansion, particularly in paint and powder. Experts contend the outlook for the year and beyond is quite promising. But the questions are for you: Will your finishing business be positioned to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves? Are you staying ahead of customer expectation? Do you see and understand various market swings? Does i...
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Finishing the year with numbers that paint a vivid picture for some

“Rarely are changes thrust upon a business due to changes the industry took upon itself.” (Quote links to Material Insights blog: "A wake-up call to [successful] coating business managers") We’re usually immersed in our businesses. We tend to believe things like, odd or increasing customer demands; frustrating coating formulation changes; stiffening OSHA or EPA regulations; tax and p...
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