Tag Archives: Induron Protective Coatings

What Is Sustainability?

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By John Anspach, Induron VP of Operations

I recently read an article in a coatings publication and came across the term “sustainability.”  It’s quickly become a buzzword in industry – and even in personal – life.  But just what does it mean?

One definition of sustainability, written about 25 years ago, is, “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”  Today, it has been defined as, “providing the best for people and the environment, both now and in the indefinite future.

So how can a small business contribute to sustainability without drastically affecting how it does business?  One way is to look closely at how you package your products.

For example, many of our products are packaged in metal drums.  Years ago, Induron chose to utilize reconditioned drums instead of new ones for our packaging. The number of reconditioned, rather than new, drums we purchased last year resulted in 115 tons of greenhouse gas (CHG) emissions NOT being released to the atmosphere.  That’s more significant than most might imagine – energy “avoidance” through re-use!

This simple example demonstrates that it may not require large sacrifices to your particular process or program to contribute to “sustainability.”  Just think about your current process, recognizing opportunities that could incorporate the re-use of a raw material or package in that process.  Go Green!

Don’t Make Resolutions

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Davies Hood, Induron President
By Davies Hood, Induron President

It’s the time of year when everyone is talking about New Year’s Resolutions. And that’s fine… if you’ve got a personal goal to lose weight, quit smoking or stop biting your nails.

But if you’re a manager, I urge you – don’t make resolutions for your business.

Make goals instead.

Why? Resolutions tend to have a negative connotation. You often make them when you need to change a bad habit, which is why when February rolls around, you’re not always pulling in lower numbers on the scale.

Goals, on the other hand, are a positive way for you to make changes in your business. I set goals for Induron every year (actually, I’m constantly setting new goals for Induron, so we can be the best at what we do). Here are a few you may want to incorporate into your 2013 plan:

Create a mission statement and core values. Every company needs to know why they’re in business. It’s important for customers and employees to see, in writing, a company’s mission statement and core values. So if your business doesn’t have these, or if they’re old and could use some revitalization, take some time early in 2013 to work on them. Gather your management team together (mine went on a retreat last January to do just this) and hammer out why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Institute an environment for teamwork. It’s true what they say: “There’s no I in TEAM.” Teamwork – especially within management – is a key component to successful business. When everyone is on the same page, working toward the same goals, and “meshing,” magic can happen. Our management retreat last January created a renewed sense of teamwork that helped us reach many of our 2012 goals.

Make your goals aggressive but attainable. At the beginning of 2012, I set a goal of increasing sales by 20 percent by the beginning of 2013. Was this an aggressive goal? Absolutely, especially considering the economic environment at the time. But we achieved this goal, I feel in part because it was so aggressive. You can’t be afraid of your goals. Obviously, a little research (and, frankly, some gut instincts) needs to go into your goals, but aim high. And remember the old Zig Ziglar quote, “A goal properly set is halfway reached.” Once your goals are set, share them with people. That accountability is a great way to help see you through to your success.

I wish all of you a prosperous New Year!

Founded in 1947, Induron manufactures high performance coatings that serve a range of industrial applications, including the wastewater, transmission and distribution and groundwater storage industries. Learn more about us at www.Induron.com.  

Meet the Induron Family: Stan Shook

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Stan ShookAt Induron, we’re always thankful for our employees, but especially so around the holidays! Meet Stan Shook, Induron Chemist.

Stan creates paint formulas for Induron, and ensures they meet or exceed requirements for strength, durability and cost.

Stan began working at Induron in May of 1974. “I was trying to figure out what do to with my life,” he said. “I was driving a city delivery truck, and then one day saw an ad in the paper for a lab helper at Induron. I sent in my resume and, lo and behold, they called me.”

Stan started out as the “lab gopher,” doing typical things a new guy might do – getting raw materials, running errands and even a little cleaning. “I was definitely the low man on the Totem pole,” he said.

Eventually, however, others in the lab saw that Stan had a talent for matching colors. “They started letting me make color blends with dry pigments,” he said. “I matched colors really well, so I was promoted to Lab Technician. I started testing paints, and was catching on with how to formulate paints. Then in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, I was promoted again to Formulating Chemist.”

In those days, Induron manufactured house paints for interiors and exteriors. Stan had a knack for those paints, and developed several lines of latex paints. He was also responsible for most of the gloss enamels and primers that Induron sold.

“Now, I mostly do industrial epoxies,” he said. “But when we get requests for some of the conventional paints from a long time ago, I still work on those projects today.” Continue reading Meet the Induron Family: Stan Shook →

Dancing with my girls

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By Davies Hood, Induron President

Nutcracker Family“’Tis the Season to be Jolly!” That’s something I try to live by, especially during the holiday season, and there are very few things that make me happier than time spent with loved ones.

Thanks to The Birmingham Ballet, I had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time over the last two months with my two daughters doing something that THEY both truly love… dancing. As a father of daughters, opportunities to do things with my girls take a little bit of creativity. They are not interested in the same things I was a child – football, wrestling and anything cowboy don’t fit in with their love of all things pink.

However, The Nutcracker gave me an opportunity to spend some time with them… on stage performing! To get ready for the performance, I got to rehearse with them every Saturday for two months and spend several hours in the car going to and from the Ballet Studio. There were, of course, several Icee stops involved!

Pictured is my Nutcracker family. The smiles on my two daughters’ faces were as genuine as could be – and so was mine! I know that this post has little to do with industrial coatings or business in general, but Christmas is a time for us all to remember what is truly important. Family and quality time are important to me and the whole Induron Family!

Cogeneration: A win-win

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By Hayne Crum, Induron Chemist

I recently read an interesting article at Environmental Expert about a wastewater treatment facility in Adelaide, Australia, that uses cogeneration to reduce emissions AND produce needed energy.

Typically, water and wastewater treatment facilities have very long lifetimes (50+ years). In the Adelaide facility case, gases – mostly methane – from the waste treatment are being used to generate energy to run the plant. This kind ofcogeneration has been around for a while, but is picking up steam. (Pun intended!)

In this instance, the cogeneration saves the plant money by changing its capital cost and reducing the plant’s energy costs. In fact, with this system, the plant can pay for its generators in just eight years. Additionally, the cogeneration prevents methane from escaping into the air. Methane is more than 100 times the greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide is, which means it is much worse for the environment.

The capital costs of implementing cogeneration are high. However, the procedure pays for itself, or even makes a profit, IF the facility lasts ONLY least eight years. Induron makes paint that protects the piping and holding tanks for this type of facility, helping them run more efficiently and last longer. We recommend using Permaclean 100, or Ceramsafe 90. Both are green products because they are free of HAPS (Hazardous Air Polutants) and VERY low in VOC content, with PermaClean 100 being 100% solids and the Cermansafe having a VOC of 81 gm/l. These products have life expectancies of 15+ years when used per our recommendations.  This means you get 7+ years of profit from the generators even before you repaint the pipes or tanks! Continue reading Cogeneration: A win-win →

Thoughts on Veterans Day from an Induron Vet

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By Jeff White, Induron Sales Manager and Gulf War M1A1 Tank Platoon Leader

Induron's Jeff White in the Gulf WarAs we approach November 11, I thought it would be nice to share some of the history of Veterans Day.

Veterans Day is an official United States holiday, observed on November 11, honoring armed service veterans. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I – major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day for remembering the men and women who died while serving.

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In 1945, World War II veteran Raymond Weeks from Birmingham, Alabama, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Weeks led a delegation to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, who supported the idea of National Veterans Day. Weeks led the first national celebration in 1947 in Alabama, and annually until his death in 1985. Continue reading Thoughts on Veterans Day from an Induron Vet →

A GIANT Attitude

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By Davies Hood, Induron President

Davies at Game 3 of the World SeriesOK, I admit it. I am a super fan, or fanatic, or whatever else you call us. I drove from Birmingham, Alabama, to Detroit, Michigan, to watch Game 3 of the World Series so I could see my beloved San Francisco Giants in person in THE WORLD SERIES. Yeah, I know – it’s 700+ miles each way, but this is baseball.

What the heck does any of this have to do with an industrial coatings blog? Well, besides a glimpse into one of my true passions, how about this quintessential Team First quote: “Sometimes, guys have to make sacrifices,” Giants Infielder Ryan Theriot said.

Or this one: “The way we view each other, it’s not about me. If I’m selfish and I make a big deal about something … this is such a long ride, it’s not fair to the rest of the guys if I make it about me.” This quote is from a back-up utility infielder who was making his first start of the World Series and ended up scoring the winning run in the series-clinching game. He didn’t beg for the limelight like many other higher profile players might have. His only thought was about US. Big team and little me.

What I love about this attitude is that teamwork, selflessness and the common good is a culture that we cultivate here at Induron. It is that type of culture that propelled the San Francisco Giants to be world champions. It is that type of culture that promotes winning in not just baseball, not even just in business, but in LIFE.

I have had several conversations with my co-workers here about working together and “pulling in the same direction.” The fact is, we spend more time with our co-workers than our family and friends, so we might as well get along. That’s not just true of this paint company. It’s also true for our clients in the engineering field, the pipe manufacturing business and industrial paint contractors. Like Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said, “What these guys did is truly amazing. It shows what 25 guys can accomplish playing for each other. That’s the only way to get it done.”

Read more about the San Francisco Giants’ camaraderie, sacrifice and preparation here.

Why Cycle Count Matters in Paint Production

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By John Anspach, VP of Operations

You’ve heard us talk about “cycle count.” This number is a tool to gauge how efficient and consistent you are when making paint.

Each time a batch is made, technicians perform a battery of tests to ensure it matches the formula and meets qualifications for viscosity, solids and flow. If it’s just right the first time, the cycle count is zero. If something is even a tiny bit off, the batch goes back to technicians and is adjusted. Testing is then repeated until the paint matches the qualifications exactly.

Each adjustment adds a number to the count. One adjustment equals a cycle count of 1, and so on. We take the average number of adjustments to get our cycle count. You can see why you would want to keep this number low:  Continue reading Why Cycle Count Matters in Paint Production →

The Times – and the Standards – are A-changin’

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By Jeff White, Induron Sales Manager

One of the most widely-used standards in the coatings industry is getting a facelift. SSPC, the Society for Protective Coatings, announced recently that it had made technical revisions and editorial clarifications to its coating application standard, SSPC-PA 2, Procedure for Determining Conformance to Dry Coating Thickness Requirements. SSPC’s PA 2 is one of the most widely-referenced standards in the protective coatings industry. PA 2 first hit the industry in 1973, and has been refreshed several times since. These latest updates were effective May 2, 2012. Continue reading The Times – and the Standards – are A-changin’ →