by Troy Newport
Industry certifications are like badges of expertise that companies can wear proudly on their sleeves. They validate knowledge, skills, and credibility in an increasingly crowded ecosystem. To learn more about approaches to industry standards and certifications, we interviewed three companies that powder coat to support manufacturing efforts.
In today’s interconnected economies, meeting certain standards means that businesses can comply with regulatory requirements and compete globally, all while demonstrating to peers—and more importantly, customers—that they have credibility in the marketplace.
We spoke with two PCI member custom coaters and an OEM to gain a broad view of how companies prioritize standards through industry certifications. Let’s take a quick look at each company we interviewed.
Colourific Coatings Ltd., founded in 1988 in the Greater Toronto Area, provides custom coating services with a 50,000-square-foot production facility that contains two automated production lines. Their facility is equipped to handle parts as long as 30 feet, and up to 1,500 pounds maximum weight. They provide contract powder coating services, including but not limited to indoor and outdoor architectural products, retail racking and displays, fencing and railing, and industrial equipment. In summer 2024, they successfully completed the process to become the first Canadian company to achieve PCI 3000 Certification, which demonstrates that they have the processes in place to produce a high-quality powder coated product.
Powder Coating Specialties Inc., founded in 1991, operates three locations in the greater Denver area: a facility with a 450-foot automated conveyorized line, a facility with a 510- foot automated conveyorized line, and a batch operation. They also provide contract powder coating services, including but not limited to architectural, aerospace and defense, commercial, and retail products, as well as serving the automotive and restoration markets. Originally PCI Certified in 2010, they are one of the earliest companies to accomplish PCI 3000 Certification and still maintain it to this day.
Our OEM member company, PlayPower, headquartered outside Charlotte, is a fully integrated manufacturer for a family of brands of commercial recreational and leisure products. They manage more than one million square feet worth of manufacturing space in Indiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Texas. They recently achieved PCI 4000 Certification, which is designed specifically for OEMs to validate their powder coating processes.
What certifications/verifications/ approvals do you maintain, and why?
Juan Ruiz, director of continuous improvement and capital projects with Colourific Coatings, says that due to rigorous coating standards for the architectural market, they sought certifications under the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA). “We are fully verified under AAMA 2603, 2604, and 2605 standards,” Juan says. He adds, “We are also exploring Qualicoat certification as a potential addition next year.” Achieving this additional certification would open additional markets where Colourific can compete. Qualicoat is the common architectural standard used in Europe and applies to polyester powder coatings.
Jack Howell, president of Powder Coating Specialties, says most of their certifications are geared around providing services for U.S. government contracts. They are registered with the System for Award Management (SAM), which is the official U.S. government system for managing federal contracts, grants, and assistance listings. They maintain certification through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a U.S. federal agency that develops guidelines for cybersecurity, laboratory accreditation, and technology standards. In addition, Jack reports they maintain Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), a U.S. Department of Defense program designed to ensure defense contractors and subcontractors meet cybersecurity requirements to protect sensitive government information.
Tim Brines, engineering manager with PlayPower, follows up by providing a long list of certifications they maintain in order to produce quality products for their customers and meet regulatory requirements where their products are used. “We’ve been ISO 9001 certified since 1998, and ISO 14001 certified since 2015,” he begins. ISO 9001 is an international quality management system (QMS) that helps organizations improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, and quality, while ISO 14001 is an international environmental management system (EMS) that helps organizations minimize their environmental impact and comply with sustainability regulations.
Tim continues, “In 2017, the American Society for Testing and Materials published a new Standard for Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use, so PlayPower adopted ASTM 1487-21 and ASTM F1918- 21 and closely follows these standards in all our product designs and materials.”
In the U.S., the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the government agency that sets product safety guidelines and practices. “Their Handbook for Public Playground Safety was first published in 1981,” Tim explains, “and includes guidelines for designing, constructing, and maintaining public playgrounds.” To serve the Canadian market, Tim says they also comply with specifications set by the Canadian Standard Association (CSA), and their standards are published as CAN/CSAZ614, Guideline on Children’s Playspaces and Equipment Standard. And of course, there is a different set of standards recognized by the European Union, European Harmonized Standard for Commercial Play Equipment, EN 1176, with which PlayPower also complies.
Tim continues, “PlayPower is also a member in good standing of the International Play Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (IPEMA), which represents manufacturers of play equipment.” IPEMA provides third-party certification to validate conformance to ASTM F1487. “By earning this certification, we can use their logo in marketing materials to signify that PlayPower has received written validation that the associated products conform with the standard.”
To add to their existing certifications, PlayPower recently pursued PCI 4000 Certification, and, probably not surprisingly, passed the audit and is the newest PCI OEM member to achieve the certification.
With all of the stringent certifications and credentials you already maintain, why did you also pursue PCI Certification?
Juan with Colourific explains, “AAMA compliance is mandatory for us to ensure our coatings meet the performance expectations of our clients and end users. However, PCI Certification is a strategic choice—a proactive step toward operational excellence across every process in our value stream map.” He continues, “While AAMA focuses on product performance standards, PCI Certification goes deep into process control, traceability, and operational discipline, which helps us build a more robust and quality-driven organization.”
Colourific recently installed a new vertical line for architectural products, and they intend to also have that line PCI 3000 certified. “This ensures continuity across all new and existing lines,” Juan asserts. “Certifying our vertical line underscores our commitment to scalable, high-volume operations while supporting partnerships with high-volume extrusion manufacturers.”
Jack with Powder Coating Specialties shares, “My customers are happy with the PCI 3000 Certification. I’ve never pursued ISO, as once my customers see what PCI audits during certification, it has allowed us to become a supplier for the aerospace industry along with the NIST and CMMC certifications.” He adds, “I see that it brings confidence to the customer that we care about what we do, and we can show them that our process is of the highest standard in the industry; that we document and can prove what we have done from the moment the project is quoted, received, pretreated, coated, cured, and to the final steps of QC testing, packaging, and shipment.” Importantly, “Since we have been a PCI certified applicator, I have noticed that by using the PCI 3000 logo we are able to secure certain contracts. It assures our customer that we process our finishing correctly and can document the result.”
Since PlayPower recently underwent the PCI 4000 Certification process for the first time, we asked their opinion on the differences between ISO and PCI Certification. Tim explains, “The primary distinction between ISO and PCI certifications is their focus. ISO certification is broad, covering quality assurance across the entire manufacturing operation. PCI Certification, on the other hand, is specifically focused on maintaining quality throughout the powder coating process. Not only does it help ensure that our processes remain efficient and reliable, but it also signals to our customers that we take quality seriously. This, in turn, increases customer confidence, encouraging more people to purchase our products knowing they meet the highest quality and safety standards.”
When asked what they learned through the process, Tim reveals, “The audit preparation process has been enlightening. It’s been a valuable experience as we discovered that many of our practices, especially those related to the painting process, are already highly effective. However, it also highlighted areas where we need to focus on improvements to consistently maintain the high standards that our customers expect and deserve.”
Would you recommend PCI Certification to other custom coaters and OEMs?
“We have gone through the approved applicator process with all of our current powder suppliers,” Juan from Colourific begins. “They maintain high standards, and we work closely with them to ensure warranty compliance and product integrity. PCI Certification adds another layer of rigor by focusing not just on material compatibility, but on the entire operational process, including documentation, training, quality assurance, and non-conformance resolution. Compared to supplier approvals, PCI requires a broader investment in operational systems and ongoing audits, ultimately raising the bar for consistency and traceability.”
“I would encourage anyone who processes powder coatings to be open to PCI Certification,” Jack from Powder Coating Specialties advises. “It is designed around the entire process for application of powder and is specialized for our industry. The other certifications are helpful, but if you can show that your coating facility is certified for the specific application of powder coating, the benefit can be realized by your customer as well.”
Tim with PlayPower concludes, “Yes, I would strongly recommend that any company involved in the powder coating industry pursue Certification. Continuous monitoring and improvement of processes are essential to ensure consistently high-quality products. Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat customers, which is the key to long-term success in the business.”
Troy Newport is publisher of Powder Coated Tough.