By Davies Hood, Induron President

On Thursday May 2, 2013, Induron hosted our Second Annual Family Night at the Ballpark. This is a social event where all employees are invited to bring their spouses, kids and grandkids to the local ballpark. We eat hot dogs, burgers and Cracker-Jacks and really get to know co-workers in a relaxed atmosphere.

Heck, we even flew in our Sales Team from locations as far away as Connecticut, Wisconsin and Missouri! We all enjoyed a little baseball (Go Barons!) and got to see the beautiful new Regions Field. But most importantly we all had a good time.

Something really hit me as I was talking to Chuck Raddin, (Production), who was holding his 18-month-old grandson, and John Bickel (Sales), one of the newest employees of our company. The night was not about baseball at all.

Some of my key memories are:

• Trying to get a high-five from Ricky Germany’s (Customer Service) son, Bryant, as he rode into the stadium on his dad’s shoulder decked out in a Superman costume that came complete with a Velcro cape!
• Seeing 3 generations of Rowells (Sales) wearing 5 name tags (thanks to Jake’s 3!).
• Watching all 3 Lindley (Production) girls having a hard time choosing between hamburgers and hot dogs.
• Donna Poe (Receptionist) having the opportunity to show off pictures of her 2 new grandchildren.
• Talking with Dick Belliveau (Sales) about the merits of Yuengling Lager while he was wearing his Miller Park Milwaukee Brewers jacket.
• Watching my 9 year- old-daughter practice her ballet routine on the Bullpen rail.

But the most memorable event of the night occurred late in the evening when one of the other team’s players hit a home run into the Bullpen directly below our section. One of their relief pitchers picked up the ball, quickly saved the home run ball for his teammate and deftly tossed a bullpen ball to Jeremy Lecroy (Production) who was holding Kyler, his 4-year-old son.

Well actually, maybe it IS all about baseball. Specifically the baseball that was given to Kyler. He’ll remember it his entire life. So will I.

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. 

Most of us, thankfully, don’t have an aged-galvanized electrical transmission tower in our backyards. What we DO have, more often than not, is an old shed that’s probably seen better days.

That was the situation at the Smith residence recently. My trusty old backyard shed was in dire need of some TLC. If I’m perfectly honest, the rotting wooden shed needed to be torn down and taken out of its misery, but in a last-ditch effort to save myself the expense and time of building a new one, I slapped some Induraguard 9200 on it.

Even though Induraguard is meant for rusty galvanized steel structures like transmission towers, I was amazed at how great it worked on dried out, cracked wood with multiple layers of old paint still partially intact. In fact, after applying Induraguard, there was no more wood rot at all!

Induron isn’t necessarily branching out into the “old nasty shed coatings” business, but my shed experiment showed me that the properties that make Induraguard great for weathered galvanized structures make it ideal for old wood. For example:

• Induraguard provides maximum wetting and penetration of cracks, edges and dried-out wood (restores life to the wood), just like it does with rusty steel or weathered galvanized.
• It works extremely well with very little surface preparation – no extensive chalk or chloride removal required.
• It seals and holds old coatings in place like glue, just like it does on metals.
• It has perfect properties as an overcoating material and puts very low stress on old coatings.
• The linseed oil within Induraguard sinks down into areas where it’s needed, while the best possible barrier pigments provide long-life coating at substrate level. It resists extreme weathering conditions, like UV rays, wind, rain, etc.
• It provides a hydrophobic surface to resist water penetration and prevent further deterioration of the substrate – a perfect use of this coating that you might never think about!
• Its low-VOC isn’t harmful to the environment.

So whether you’ve got a system of rusted galvanized power poles or just the wooden shed where you keep your lawnmower, Induraguard 9200 is your best bet for protection!

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.  

Back in the 1990s, I taught a Junior Achievement class to eighth graders at Tarrant Middle School, here in the Birmingham area. This was not the “project” many people associate with Junior Achievement, but an actual 50-minute class once a week for an entire semester with curricula offered by Junior Achievement. The regular Social Studies teacher remained in the classroom to help, but it was truly a “teaching experience” for me.

Tarrant is a “working class,” mixed-race suburb of Birmingham, and my classes consisted of boys, girls, black, white, motivated, not-motivated kids, just as you would expect. Some were from single-parent homes and some were from homes with both mom and dad. But many of them hadn’t had the advantages that other kids their age have had.

I started teaching this class not knowing what to expect, but soon found that most of these kids were bright, inquisitive and really interested in economics and “home business” (how I described balancing a checkbook, creating and sticking to a budget, paying taxes and getting and keeping a job).

Among the lessons I was teaching these kids was one I learned myself – that whatever problems are facing public education, one of them is definitely NOT that the kids are “dumb.”

Sure, it was a challenge for me to create lesson plans that could keep these kids interested (I imagine this is a challenge for any teacher these days), but I relished teaching them about concepts they had never considered – pricing, payroll taxes, savings (and compound interest), supply/demand curves, currencies, the stock market, meeting a payroll and even social graces like shaking hands. These are all concepts that are vital to one’s success in the business world, and I was glad that most of these kids were interested in learning about them.

My takeaway was that all these kids were missing was exposure to new concepts and a challenge to explore them. They can and will learn almost anything that we expect of them – they only need more challenge and higher expectations.

I urge you to explore ways you can help pass on the business lessons you’ve learned to kids who may not even realize they want to know about them. It’s a beneficial endeavor for both the students and teacher.

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.  

Did you ever notice that when the future is portrayed in movies (especially in dystopian sci-fi movies), nothing gets properly maintained? There are no corrosion consultants specifying abrasive blasting, containments, chloride removal, 3-coat coating systems, spray application, etc?

Perhaps in the future there will be limited budgets for all the elements of a successful coatings job that people have come to believe are necessary. However, those elements are not always needed for a great coatings project.

So what would I recommend to a post-Armageddon society to keep rust at bay while keeping inter-galactic costs low? Induron’s Induraguard 9200 and E-Bond!

Together, these products don’t require extensive surface preparation, chloride removal or containment, which removes much of the cost of coatings work and provides great results and long-term corrosion protection. In fact, using Induraguard 9200 and E-Bond even removes the expense of application, scaffolding and other unnecessary costs.

Depending on the degree of corrosion and the environment (and when the aliens take over, you can bet they’ll bring their planet’s harsh atmosphere with them), Induron can specify a one- or two-coat solution to your rust problems for a fraction of what it would have cost you in the past with other coating requirements. The unique application can protect exterior carbon steel and weathered galvanized structures, whether they are towers, chain-link fences, bridges, buildings or the crashed space ship that’s taken over what was once the local park. The cost of labor will be drastically less, and the protection will be equal!

By Gary Bath, Induron Sales rep

I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of selling and feel that every job has some sales aspect – even if it’s just selling yourself to your boss.  A teacher is selling education, a minister is selling religion, a politician is selling… well, you get my point.

I started out my sales career thinking all it took to be a good salesman was to treat your customer like you would like to be treated – the “Golden Rule” of sales.  Then one day, it dawned on me that Customer Service was a big part of selling. So I started putting more emphasis on Customer Service.

Recently, I talked to a potential new customer about how great Induron’s customer service was. I felt I had made a strong presentation, but it didn’t convince the customer to switch.

Shortly after that I read an article from Alister & Paine entitled, “Do You Need a Customer Service “Spring Cleaning?” It came as a big surprise when I realized that I had at least three of the five bad customer service habits described in the article.  It was a good reminder that even people who have been in this business a long time can always make improvements.

For example, probably my greatest fault during my years in sales has been that I worry too much. I worry about not getting orders shipped on time or my customer blaming our products for a failure that wasn’t our fault.  This article made me realize that spending more time solving a customer’s problems – rather than worrying about things I can’t control – will make me more productive.

And that, of course, makes for happier customers.

Ricky has been with Induron since October, and in the few months he’s been here, has really become the “voice of Induron.” When customers call us, he’s usually the first person they talk to, whether they need to place an order, get a product recommendation or ask a question.

Learn a little more about Ricky:

If you were any animal, what would you be and why?

The animal that I would most like to be is a Fossa. It is highly intelligent and adaptive, lives in a tropical environment and has no natural predators.

What is your biggest professional mistake and success?

I cannot think of a professional mistake worth mentioning – either I have not had one or have selective memory suppression (I vote for the latter). As far as success, the following of clientele I achieved during my retail career – having people drive out of their way to come and deal with me exclusively – was very satisfying.

What is your favorite trip you’ve ever taken?

My favorite trip was to Cancun on my honeymoon and being able to experience and learn a little from a different culture and history.

What’s your favorite thing about working at Induron?

I enjoy having the opportunity to see that my clients get the best products available to them as quickly as possible. And I really enjoy working with all the people here, at all levels. It’s great to be at a company where people have worked for as long as they have, and where there are so many second-generation employees.

If you had a day to do anything you wanted, what would you do?

Just relaxing on a nice beach would more than suffice.

What piece of advice would you give someone just starting out in the working world?

The best advice for someone entering the working world is to just do what you love.

If you could have dinner with any person living or dead, who would it be and why?

Dinner with anyone living or dead has to be Mark Twain – what an interesting conversation that would be!

What one fear have you faced?

I don’t know of any fears I have that are challenging enough to be faced.

What person has had the biggest influence on your life and why?

My paternal grandfather has to be the one who has influenced me the most.  He showed me that you can lead a simple life and adhere to strict morals, be successful (not necessarily monetarily) and quietly have a positive impact on so many people.

What’s your favorite pizza topping?

Of course pepperoni has to be the best pizza topping.

What is your favorite book and why?

I can’t say that one book is my favorite, but The Dark Tower series by Stephen King has all the elements needed for a great story. 

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy reading, fishing and of course The University of Alabama athletics, football in particular.  Roll Tide.

What is your favorite quote?

My favorite quote has to be, ” I intend to live forever – so far so good.” by Stephen Wright.

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.  

As a general rule, I’m opposed to PACs (Political Action Committees) because of the “secrecy” of their membership and undue influence in our nation’s political process.

However, I am also opposed to a lot of the everyday activities that I regularly participate in. What do I mean? I’m opposed to paying unfair sales taxes on groceries and medicine. I’m opposed to participating in the “free-rider” aspect of volunteer organizations. And I’m very much opposed to the game I grew up playing – football – being deteriorated by the NFL on a year-by-year or even week-by-week basis. But I digress.

But a recent article from PaintSquare has me cheering for (or at least, considering cheering for) the success of the new NACE PAC in Washington.

Look at the numbers: 3.1 percent of our nation’s GDP is spent on corrosion repair and prevention. And it is estimated that up to 30 percent of that cost could be eliminated with proper design and maintenance.

That’s about 1 percent of our GDP, or, in layman’s terms, $120 billion.

You read that right – $120,000,000,000.

What’s even crazier is that this percentage of GDP spending extrapolates out across the globe, meaning that roughly 3 percent of the world’s GDP is spent on corrosion.

Sound far-fetched? My experience indicates otherwise.

But significant savings are available. For example – in the electrical power transmission and distribution industry, I know that millions of dollars could be saved annually if the maintenance painting of aged lattice-leg transmission towers occurred when the corrosion was an R-2 or R-3 level (moderate corrosion) instead of waiting until the corrosion was an R-4 or R-5 (severe corrosion).

We all know that all steel – even galvanized – will eventually rust. If we elect to defer maintenance painting until that rust is severe (like many in the maintenance departments of organizations on tight budgets are want to do), the cost of painting doubles… or even triples. In many cases, this doubling of cost occurs over a very short period of time, like one or two years. This is true when repainting aged water tanks as well. If a tank is repainted soon enough (before the existing paint cracks and/or corrosion appears), it can simply be pressure washed and overcoated with one easy-to-apply coat. However, if an owner waits too long (often only 18 months too long), that same tank has to be sandblasted, and three coats of material will have to be applied.

These are just two examples from markets that I know. How many other markets are affected by corrosion? Hopefully now you can see the total amount of savings we could incur. Although I do not like Political Action Committees on principle, I sure hope that the NACE PAC is successful. I say this not only as a member of the corrosion resistance industry, but as a patriotic U.S. citizen!

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.  

With the recent uptick in fuel prices, it wouldn’t appear to be the case.  However, a recent article in Chemical Processing indicates that significant strides are being made to really get there.

The likely biggest domestic energy development toward that end is the availability of gas from shale oil. New technology is allowing easier access to this enormous untapped energy resource.  Michael Cowen of the International Energy Agency (EIA) states that, “within five years, the U.S. is likely to break the record output high reached more than two decades ago, to flirt with the position of top world producer.” Imagine that… having greater output than the Saudis! This can be possible with efficient shale oil conversion, combined with investments in new pipelines.  If both methods are employed, it would significantly lower U.S. demand from oil imports, and move us closer to energy independence.

The chemical industry, which includes coatings manufacturers like Induron, will greatly benefit from U.S.-produced fuels. Raw materials will be positively impacted with hydrocarbons domestically available for fuel and feedstocks. It would lower the dependence on foreign sources for these feedstocks, which would certainly stabilize the market and likely increase availability, stabilizing or lowering raw material prices.

As the article indicates, perhaps we are on the forefront of a “new age” for the U.S. chemical industry.

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.  

More than 40 years ago, I went to work for my father, who had just started Pennsbury Coatings Corporation, a small, family-owned coatings manufacturing company. Work was different then – no fax machines, no internet, no cell phones (some of us refer to them as “the good ol’ days”).  We did business on land lines and through the Post Office.  We also refined the art of the sales call.  Back then, a contract was simply a hand shake.

Five years ago, I found myself unemployed and began looking for a company that represented what my father’s company stood for:  a company that did what it promised, provided reliable and cutting-edge products, treated its customers like valued friends and offered its customers help if they needed it.

Induron Protective Coatings is a small, family-owned business that has allowed me to thrive in an environment that trusts its employees to work for the betterment of the company, as well as the industries that it serves.  We try very hard to keep all the promises we make and never make a promise we can’t keep.  It is a philosophy that serves us well. 

Since I came on board, three of my long-term business associates have joined Induron, and through them, four others have also joined our company – all in the sales department.  We are all growing and thriving in an atmosphere of mutual reliance and trust.  We will continue to do so.

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.