On September 26, 2024, with sustained winds of 140 mph, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Florida panhandle and continued moving northward. Almost 475 miles north, in Asheville, NC, local officials had already spent days planning for Helene’s arrival.

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Product development is the lifeblood of a specialty chemical company like Sika Corporation. As an innovator in elastic bonding, industrial sealing, and acoustic applications for production, assembly, and repair, it must develop new products, new markets, and new products for new markets, without stifling growth. This is the story of how Sika developed its first product, designed specifically for the powder coating industry, to be integrated into the powder coating process.

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Smaller manufacturers play a critical, localized role in servicing the agricultural industry. Aaron Wagner with Sherwin-Williams provides insight into how these businesses serve their customers and how suppliers can assist in their success.

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The thermal spraying process, also known as flame spraying, was developed around 1910 by Swiss engineer Dr. Max Ulrich Schoop for corrosion protection and machinery restoration. The primary coverage materials used at the time were lead and mercury due to their relatively low melting points.

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For the average person, the term “high five” conjures up images of achievement, success, and victory, likely with a sports connection. For Missouri-based Hi5 Metal Fabrication, the meaning of the term most commonly linked to that celebratory gesture has a different twist.

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DeWys Metal Solutions exemplifies a culture of pride and dedication to lifting up others. Since its founding in 1977 by Mark DeWys in a modest red barn on his family’s property, the company has grown exponentially, embracing innovation while staying true to its core values.

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In 1974, Chuck Sterling and Paul Balliette founded S&B Metal Products, housed in a small, rented building in Macedonia, OH. Just a few years later, the pair began expanding their contract manufacturing company, gradually increasing their footprint, capabilities, and locations.

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Purchasing a powder coating system is no small feat. It’s a major investment for companies and many spend a great deal of time doing research, creating a specification, vetting vendors, developing an implementation plan, and so on.

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There’s no doubt that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are today’s hottest and perhaps most consequential chemical regulation topic. PFAS are a diverse group of chemistries characterized by the strong bond between fluorine and carbon. They can be solids, liquids, or gases. PFAS have been used for decades by a diverse array of industries, including powder coatings, for the performance and durability benefits they convey to many consumer and industrial products.

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After spending a decade in the retail construction industry, Mike Russo was intrigued by the fast-growing powder coating market. Looking to start a custom coater business, Mike approached James Mooney, a former vendor, for startup and funding support. In 2005, they launched Twin City Powder Coating (TCPC), located in Lino Lakes, MN.

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