#ECONOMICS

Powder Coating

Forms+Surfaces Expands from Humble Beginnings to Global Market Leader

Originally founded in Santa Barbara, California, the company now manufactures in multiple U.S. locations and in India.

Anodizing

Columbia Chemical and Alufinish Announce Collaboration

By combining their sales and service capabilities and resources for the U.S. market, the two companies will cover the entire aluminum alloy surface treatment process from pre-treatment to anodizing and coating.

Checon Expands Market Offering with Acquisition of Umicore Electrical Materials USA, Inc.

The company is strategically working to meet future growth opportunities surrounding the use of precious metals and conductive materials like copper and aluminum.

AOTCO Acquires Modern Metal Finishing

AOTCO has expanded its portfolio with the anodizing services of Modern Metal Finishing through an acquisition.

ChemQuest Welcomes Business Development Director

Philip Marsh has been named business development director of the EMEA region for ChemQuest.

PRI Registrar Acquires SRI Quality System Registrar

The Performance Review Institute Registrar has acquired SRI Quality System Registrar, improving value for customers.

ITW Air Management, Pillar Technologies Unite Sales Force

Two business units of the global ITW organization are uniting their sales teams to better serve customer needs in similar markets.

Liquid Coating

Justifying Investments in Automation and Smart Solutions

Corey Sorrento of Carlisle Fluid Technologies discusses the long-term benefits and payoffs for investing in AI-driven technologies for your paint line.

Anodizing

Episode 30: An Interview With Rhonda Dibachi, CEO, HeyScottie

Rhonda Dibachi, founder and CEO of HeyScottie, discusses her new automatic pricing engine designed to help manufacturers find finishing services and streamline the price quoting process.

EPSI Acquires Custom Rack

EPSI is continuing to grow with the acquisition of Custom Rack, based in Euless, Texas.

Sparktek Acquires Marca Coating Technologies

Two of North America's vacuum metallizing companies are coming together to provide domestic, high-volume vacuum metallizing services to multiple industries.

January Finishing Activity Up 3.3 Points vs. December

Finishing Activity: January started the year on a relatively positive note with an index of 49.6 compared to ending 2022 with a December index of 46.3.

Anodizing

Bryan Leiker, MFACA, Discusses CARB Public Hearing Over Calif. Hex Chrome Ban

Bryan Leiker, executive director, Metal Finishing Association of California, offers a recap of a January 27, 2023, public hearing conducted by the California Air Resources Board prior to an impending ruling on a proposed ban of hexavalent chromium use for finishing operations in the state.

Powder Coating

Color Consultant Joins ChemQuest Team

Montaha Hidefi joins the ChemQuest Group team in a color consultant role.

Finishing Activity Ended March Down 1 Point vs. February

Finishing Activity: March saw the index revert to flat, closing at 50.3 compared to February’s 51.3.

Jan Schafer
Director of Market Research

Liquid Coating

Henry Ford Is Still Right When It Comes to Color

Who would have imagined that more than 100 years after his famous statement about any color as long as it’s black would still have relevance of a sort?

Finishing Activity: December Index of 46.3 Ended 2022 With Entire Fourth Quarter in Contraction

Finishing activity was down 1.4 points vs. November.

The Year Ahead of Us

Products Finishing looks ahead to a new year of reporting on the coating and finishing industries.

Finishing Activity: November Index of 47.7 Signals Contraction at a Faster Pace

Finishing activity has contracted two months in a row.

Finishing Activity: October index of 48.9 marks the first month of contraction this year

Finishing activity has not contracted since July 2020.

Finishing Activity: September Closes With an Index of 49.8 (50 = flat.)

Finishing activity is flat for the first time since December 2020.

Finishing Activity Ended February Up 1.7 Points vs. January

The improved start to 2023 carried into February which closed at 51.3 compared to January’s index of 49.6.

Jan Schafer
Director of Market Research

Finishing Activity: Growth Activity Slowed Again in July, Closes at 51.8

July is the third month of slowed expansion for Finishing this year, approaching a low reading Finishing has not seen since the end of 2020.

A Sea Change for Automotive?

Investments in new energy vehicles by major automotive OEMs have been signaling a larger share of the market for electrified vehicles in the not so distant future — but when should finishers invest in new capabilities?

Finishing Activity: Expansion Slowed Again in June, Closing at 54.5 Index

June is just the second month of slowed expansion for Finishing this year.

Finishing Activity: May Expansion Slowed, Closing at an Index of 57.3

May marks the first slowing of Finishing’s expansion this year, the time prior being December 2021.

Finishing Activity: ‘Slow and steady…’ Generally Describes April

April index stayed about the same at 59.6 (slowing down just two-thirds of a point vs. March)

Finishing Activity: dare we say ‘ditto’ for March?

March index stays the same at 60.3

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