Perspectives: Finishing Industry Market Research Report

The latest Surface Finishing Market Research Board (SFMRB) Report is on the newsstand. Report No. 6 focuses on resource recovery, capital and material expenditures and wages and benefits.

For those of you unfamiliar with these reports, they were developed in recognition of the need for statistical information on the finishing industry. Under the auspices of the Surface Finishing Industry Council (SFIC), the Metal Finishing Suppliers’ Association (MFSA), the National Association of Metal Finishers (NAMF) and the American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society (AESF) jointly support the SFMRB. The SFMRB board is made up of representatives of the sponsoring organizations, who meet to determine how the information will be gathered, compiled and reported.

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In Report No. 6, some important findings, which are detailed with tables and figures in the report, include the following:

• Captive shops planned greater major capital expenditures for 2001 than job shops, with spending for material handling equipment to be especially higher.
• Most job shops are non-union shops.
• In general, captive shops offer higher wages for hourly employees than job shops.
• Employee benefits are higher for captive shops, with the exception of bonuses and the use of company vehicles.
• Resource recovery is an integral part of today’s electroplating production.
• Zinc cyanide plating has been eliminated from a majority of plating shops nationwide.

Watts nickel (based on nickel sulfate) is the most popular plating process in both captive and job shops.

These reports are available from any of the aforementioned associations. Reports are $95 for members and $190 for non-members. Diskettes containing the data upon which the report is based are available at an additional fee. SFMRB will also offer customized analyses and reports based on the data for a negotiated fee. For more information or to order contact NAMF at 703-709-8299; MFSA at 703-709-5729; or AESF at 407-281-6441.