Podcasts

Podcasts

These podcasts are part of the new CoatingsPro Interview Series, launched in July 2020. In this series, CoatingsPro Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Chizik and News Editor Ben DuBose chat with industry experts and thought leaders to provide tips on how industrial and commercial coatings contractors can improve their bottom line. Check back for regular updates!

Editor's note: Earlier podcasts from CoatingsPro's COVID-19 Interview Series, which ran from March 2020 through June 2020, are available here.

AMPP Announces Updates to Coating Inspector Program

Tom Higginbotham, manager at PPG Industrial Coatings and chair of the AMPP Education Committee, explains the latest Coating Inspector Program (CIP) updates from the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP).

Topics include new features of the updated courses; feedback from members and others in the industry; how AMPP is addressing concerns related to the legacy NACE International and SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings programs; and how people can learn more information about the CIP updates and/or get more involved.

For more information, contact: AMPP, www.ampp.org/education

Bridging Gaps: Intech’s Brad Wilder Shares Keys to Success

Based in Lexington, Kentucky, Intech Contracting, LLC currently performs inspection support and rehabilitation work for highway bridges, as well as structural steel fabrication and erection work, for commercial and industrial clients. For over a decade, a key player in their growth has been Brad Wilder, bridge painting division manager. 

In this episode, Wilder shares advice and perspective on his road to success while outlining the role of organizations like the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) in helping him achieve it.

For more information, contact: Intech Contracting, LLC, (859) 272-0352, www.intechcontracting.com

Cradle to Grave: How Holistic Thinking Helps Contractors

Kevin Kipp, co-owner of Hardig Industrial Services, joins our podcast to reflect on his award-winning career and share some lessons learned for others in the industry. Topics include the evolution of the coatings field and how having a holistic understanding can help contractors; the role of industry associations (AMPP), trade publications (CoatingsPro Magazine), and social media in Hardig’s success; advice for the next generation of coatings professionals; and much more.

For more information, contact: Hardig Industrial Services, (513) 873-3448, www.hardigindustrial.com

Takeaways From the First AMPP Annual Conference + Expo

Lesley Martinez, manager of conferences at the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), joins our podcast to share her takeaways from the first AMPP Annual Conference + Expo. 

Topics discussed on this episode include feedback, data, and lessons learned from the 2022 in-person event in San Antonio, Texas, USA; information on the newly released virtual component; and key dates and highlights for the 2023 AMPP show in Denver, Colorado, USA.

For more information, contact: AMPP Annual Conference + Expo, ace.ampp.org

Robotics Trends in Protective Coatings Projects

In celebration of National Robotics Week, Robert Dahlstrom — founder and CEO of Jacksonville, Florida-based Apellix — joins us to explore new trends in the aerial robotics market.

Topics discussed on the podcast include recent developments in the industry and at Apellix; feedback from users in the field; workforce implications; and what the future looks like for using robotics across various phases of corrosion control and protective coatings projects.

For more information, contact: Apellix, (904) 647-4511, www.apellix.com

Interview: KTA Leadership Looks Forward and Back

This “member profile” episode features an extended conversation with Bill Corbett, chief operations officer at coatings and corrosion engineering and inspection firm KTA-Tator, Inc., and Pete Ault, incoming president.

As part of a new podcast with CoatingsPro Magazine, Corbett and Ault share insights on their time with the company and industry trends; perspectives on the recent merger of SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings and NACE International; and their visions for the future, both for KTA and with the newly merged organization known as the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). 

Business Takes Flight for ‘Nonskid Guy’ Johnny Sanchez

Based in National City, Calif., just outside San Diego, Prime Time Coatings is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) painting contractor whose owner and president, Johnny M. Sanchez, has helped provide coatings for the maritime sector since he was 19 years old. In 2017, he was the inaugural Contractor/Crew MVP winner of CoatingsPro’s Contractor Awards. 

With nearly 30 years of valuable industry experience, Sanchez was recently awarded an assignment that he views as a “lifelong achievement” in the protective coatings industry: Working on an aircraft carrier flight deck for the U.S. Navy. 

“It’s a big deal in the industry,” he said. “Not many companies have the background or capabilities to win such a contract. My career has come full circle, to be able to work on the Navy’s most important asset. This would not have been possible without NACE (International) and SSPC (The Society for Protective Coatings) courses throughout my career.” 

To elaborate further on his success, as well as the role of industry associations in helping him achieve that, we recently welcomed Sanchez to the CoatingsPro Interview Series. 

Sherwin-Williams Uses Platform, Resources to Assist Contractors

Jay Whitaker, technical services specialist, and Paul Trautmann, project development manager, are two experienced team members at Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine who offer plenty of protective coatings industry connections — and association ones, to boot.

In this “member profile” interview with CoatingsPro Magazine, Whitaker and Trautmann share insights on their time with the company and industry trends; perspectives on the merger of SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings and NACE International; and hopes for the future with the newly merged organization known as the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP).

Source: Sherwin-Williams, protective.sherwin-williams.com.

Addressing the Worker Shortage in Skilled Trades

Mike Chambers, owner of Chambers Painting in Sellersburg, Indiana, went viral in December after a chance encounter with Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs. In a Facebook post, Rowe relayed many of Chambers’ hiring challenges, as well as his creative ideas to address a growing shortage of craftworkers for skilled trades. 

In a new conversation with CoatingsPro Magazine, Chambers shares how that memorable experience has brought his company a new wave of workers. As part of the interview, Chambers also explores recent industry trends and explains ways that both individual contractors and policymakers can potentially alleviate the worker shortage in the months and years ahead.

How Industry Associations and Unions Can Work Together

District Council 57 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT DC 57) is an organization of more than 2,500 members in Western Pennsylvania. Formed in 1997 as a council made of several local unions, its goal is to represent tradespeople in the region while helping them achieve careers with good wages, benefits, safety, and dignity in the workplace.

Andrew Croll, director of organizing at IUPAT DC 57, has found his affiliations with SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings and now the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) quite helpful to both his career and the objectives of the union. In this episode, Croll elaborates on the relationship and what the associations have meant to him and IUPAT over the years, and he also offers some thoughts on what the future may look like.

For more information, contact: IUPAT DC 57, (412) 276-5758, www.iupatdc57.org

AMPP’s Bob Chalker Sees Evolution, Growth in Coatings Industry

Bob Chalker, CEO of the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), recently joined our special 20th anniversary podcast series at CoatingsPro Magazine.

Topics include the magazine’s evolution over the years and its outlook moving forward; changes and trends in the coatings industry over his time with NACE International and AMPP; priorities for the newly merged association and how it can benefit coatings contractors; and much more. Tune in!

For more information, contact: AMPP, www.ampp.org

Know Your Niche: Induron’s Davies Hood Looks to the Future

Davies Hood, president and owner at Induron Protective Coatings, has worked in a leading executive role for the past decade. In this exclusive podcast interview with CoatingsPro Magazine, Hood shares some of his insight on current industry trends and keys to Induron’s success; his perspective on the merger of SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings and NACE International; and some hopes for the future with the newly merged organization known as the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP).

For more information, contact: Induron, www.induron.com

Rust-Oleum Manager Shares His Outlook, Lessons Learned

David O’Bryan Jr., technical services manager at Rust-Oleum, joins our “member profile” podcast series to share his experiences and key takeaways from decades in the protective coatings industry. 

Topics include feedback from coatings contractors and recent technological trends; analysis of the skilled labor shortage and advice to industry newcomers; how industry associations have helped O’Bryan’s career and that of Rust-Oleum; and what he’d like to see from the newly formed Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). 

For more information, contact: Rust-Oleum, www.rustoleum.com

Concare’s Ron Puszynski on Coatings Industry Changes, Trends

Ron Puszynski, president and co-founder of concrete protection and restoration company Concare, Inc., joins our podcast to discuss his career in the coatings industry and potential trends moving forward. 

Topics include how the industry has evolved since the launch of Concare in the 1970s; new trends and technologies to watch for in the years ahead; analysis of workforce challenges and opportunities; and how CoatingsPro Magazine (now 20 years old!) has helped enable Concare’s success through the years.

For more information, contact: Concare, (866) 266-2273, www.concare.com

Lou Frank, Founder of CoatingsPro, Reflects on 20th Anniversary

Lou Frank is currently the business development principle at Coatings for Industry, Inc. (CFI), but he's also known in the industry as the founder of CoatingsPro Magazine. With the magazine celebrating its 20-year anniversary in November 2021, Frank joins us to reflect on the remarkable journey of the past two decades, as well as where things could be headed over the next 20 years.

For more information on CoatingsPro's 20th anniversary, check out the November 2021 print issue.