IPC’s Sam Navarro Targets Next Generation of Craftworkers

Sam Navarro, vice president of business development and marketing at industrial solutions provider IPC Industries, joins our ongoing “member profile” series at CoatingsPro Magazine. 

Topics include industry trends and feedback; strategies for the future; what associations like AMPP, NACE, and SSPC have meant to Navarro’s career; and how he’s personally working with students in his local community to try and address a growing craftworker shortage in skilled trades.

For more information, contact: IPC, (409) 935-8800, www.ipcindustrieslp.com

Meet New CoatingsPro Editor Rebecca Emanuelsen

Rebecca Emanuelsen, our new Editor at CoatingsPro Magazine, joins Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Chizik and AMPP News Editor Ben DuBose for a roundtable discussion regarding her new role. 

Topics on Monday’s newly released podcast include the job scope and why Rebecca was the best fit; initial impressions and takeaways; contact points for the broader industry; and what’s on the horizon for a fully staffed CoatingsPro moving forward. Tune in!

Father-Son Duo Building Relationships and Beyond at GPI

Danny Pelaez, coatings inspector at construction engineering company Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI), had an early introduction to the world of coatings and corrosion by visiting numerous jobsites as a child. The reason is that his father, Ramon Pelaez, is GPI’s New England coatings and corrosion manager!

Today, they work together at GPI. In this Father’s Day themed podcast, Danny and “Ray” reflect on their unique combination of family and business while sharing some lessons learned from their careers. Both men also explain how industry associations like AMPP have helped their careers thanks to education and networking opportunities.

For more information, contact: GPI, (631) 587-5060, www.gpinet.com

Warren Brand on the Alternative Response Method (ARM)

Warren Brand, respected coatings industry consultant and longtime contributor to CoatingsPro Magazine, joins our podcast with information on his latest consulting company, the Alternative Response Method (ARM). Using specific tools and practices common to any endeavor in need of strategic thinking, ARM is designed to teach organizations and leaders about how to more intentionally approach their decisions, all while offering a proven framework for thinking and behaving differently when faced with options.

The ARM team is currently partnering with U.S. Air Force Pararescueman Senior Master Sgt. Derek Anderson, who played an important role in the miraculous 2018 rescue of 12 young athletes and their soccer coach at a flooded cave system in Thailand. Numerous films and documentaries have chronicled the historic events. According to Anderson, the framework and methodology of ARM accurately captured and articulated how his team made many of those pressure-packed decisions.

As part of the partnership, Anderson will be working with ARM in developing workshops, webinars, and ongoing implementation consulting for individuals and organizations on how to make optimal decisions. More ARM details are available in these presentation slides.

For more information, contact: Warren Brand, (312) 535-4848, www.armmethod.com

Women in Coatings: Yvonne Haley Leads by Example

Our latest “member profile” podcast features an extended conversation with Yvonne Haley, president and founder of Commerce, Calif.-based Haley Industrial Coatings & Linings, Inc. CoatingsPro Magazine’s longtime readers may remember Haley from feature profiles in the May 2005 and July 2011 print issues.

More than 40 years ago, Haley graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) with degrees in business and dance. She initially worked as a professional dancer, but, within a few short years, Haley went from dancing on floors to creating them! Soon after, she pulled off an even more impressive feat by starting her own business, which, at the time, was quite a rarity for a woman in the world of coatings contracting.

Today, Haley Industrial’s website says it is a “proud, woman-owned small business with ‘large business’ capabilities.” The company specializes in areas such as resinous flooring and wall systems, waterproofing, green concrete, and vapor transmission flooring, with end markets ranging from pharmaceutical clients to chemical plants to battery acid installations. It’s no surprise that the “Battery Queen” nickname has stuck with Haley over the years.

In our podcast interview, Haley shares perspective on her time with the company and in the coatings industry, along with insight on how it has changed over the past four decades. She also offers her views on the recent merger of SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings and NACE International and opportunities for the future with the newly merged organization known as the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP).

For more information, contact: Haley Industrial, (323) 588-8086, www.haleyindustrial.com

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