Monthly Archives: April 2012

The Green Initiative: Coming to Industrial Coatings

By Davies Hood, Induron Executive Vice President

Induron Coatings is happy to see the GREEN Initiative making its way from architectural paint into the industrial coatings realm. As this article from Paint Square describes, infrastructure projects from water lines to bridges to wastewater treatment plants are going to have a new green measuring stick, thanks to Paul Zofnass, a Harvard alumnus and longtime strategic and financial advisor to CEOs in the engineering/consulting industry.

Induron’s line of 100% solids (VOC & HAP free), ceramic epoxies are some of the greenest products on the market. It also helps that they are among the most user-friendly plural component products available today.

This green movement will be good for our nation and the coatings market too, if lifetime costs analysis are part of the equation. A product might be “green,” but if it’s no good and you end up having to paint a structure more often, where is the value, much less the green advantage? For the green Initiative to be considered a success in infrastructure projects, the products used have to be not only green (low VOC, HAP free, sustainable materials, etc.), but they have to be high quality as well.

At Induron, we welcome the green Initiative to the Industrial Coatings market, because we have user-friendly, ceramic epoxies that have stood the test of time and add value to infrastructure projects.

Our New Old Values

By Davies Hood, Induron Executive Vice President

Back in January, Induron Coatings held our first Management Retreat, with the goal of crafting a Mission Statement, set of Core Values and Goals. Although we are a 65-year-old company, we pride ourselves on staying nimble, and are in the process of transitioning to the third generation of family ownership.

I asked my team to put together a mission statement, values and goals. What occurred was nothing short of magic. Instead of coming up with a whole new way to run a successful organization, we ended up focusing on what got us to our 65th birthday. It turns out, reinventing the wheel really is wasted time.

Unlike many other regional paint manufacturers that have gone out of business or been gobbled up by our giant publicly traded competitors, Induron Coatings – previously Indurall Paints and Industrial Paint Manufacturing Co. – has remained in business because of the time-tested values that our management team came up with.

These simple but very real values are: Integrity, Respect, Reliability and Innovation. Each stands alone in value for our company, our employees, our suppliers and, most importantly, our customers. However, when all four are honed day-in and day-out, their combined results can only mean one thing: Success.

The Induron management retreat team consisted of key department heads, including sales, manufacturing, accounting, pipe sales, executive staff and our technical director. We visited a remote destination so everyone could be free of their daily interruptions and distractions (and maybe even our Blackberries). I’m certain that all of us had different expectations and/or fears about the retreat. Our process was to agree upon a measureable goal for the entire Induron team, then come up with a “few” core values, move into an overall Mission Statement and culminate the meeting some steps we could take to implement these new values.   Continue reading Our New Old Values

You’re Invited!

By Tex Enoch, Induron Sales Representative

Induron Coatings would like to invite all engineers, water system owners and other interested individuals in the Mid-Atlantic region to an informative seminar hosted by Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association (STI/SPFA) at the Courtyard Marriott Pentagon in Alexandria, VA, on May 10.

During this day-long informative seminar, we’ll cover all aspects of water storage tanks, including applicable standards and all phases of design, construction and protection.

Each segment of the seminar will be presented by a recognized professional in that particular field. I am proud to be presenting a segment entitled “The Tank Coatings Process,” and will also participate in the “Total Cost of Ownership” segment as well.

I know how busy you all are, but this is a truly worthwhile event that can help you make reasonable decisions when selecting and protecting your steel water storage tanks. Plus, engineers will receive CEUs for attending. Please click here to view a brochure about the event.

I hope to see you all on May 10!

 

You get the paint – We’ll pick up the tab for the buildings

By David Hood, Induron President

William Hood, founder (light suit on right) stands next to one of Induron's original buildings - still in use today.

Here at Induron, we have an old paint factory—and that’s a good thing.

“Why?” you may ask. “Newer is always better!” But we benefit and our customers benefit from our factory’s age. Let me explain…

Our oldest building was built in the 1930s – “before the war.” Our newest building was built in 1995 and houses our testing lab, offices for the “technical guys” and a conference area (which used to be a library, but now we use the internet  instead).

All of our buildings are made of steel and concrete and are up to date on all regulations, as required. But they all have at least one other feature which counts for a lot – they are paid for. So is the roughly 4 acres on which they stand. The only building not fully depreciated is the newest one, and it is more than halfway depreciated.

“So what !?” you ask. Well, since these buildings are old, paid for and mostly depreciated, they no longer add to our cost. So they are not included in the prices we charge.

Another advantage in their being old is that they were built to accommodate both the architectural paint volume we manufactured (as Indurall Coatings) prior to 1996, as well as the industrial paint volume of Induron Coatings. That means that Induron has the capacity to make much more paint than we currently sell. Since that “excess” capacity is fully paid for, we are ready to add volume at no additional “occupancy” cost. After all, we’ve been making paint here for 65 years. That’s good for our customers as well as for us! Continue reading You get the paint – We’ll pick up the tab for the buildings

My Knowledge, Your Knowledge

By Ben Rowland, Induron Sales Rep, Birmingham, AL

As an Induron sales rep, I spend a lot of time honing my knowledge of the industry. Whether I’m attending a continuing education course, getting re-certified in a particular aspect of the industry or working with our Induron chemists to ensure I’m up to date on the latest and greatest products we offer, staying informed on every aspect of the world of coatings is vital to our business… and YOUR success.

I’m not just selling you a product. When you work with Induron, I want to make sure you’re getting the best, most accurate information available to accompany that product. That’s why I stay up to date on new products, new methods of coating, new applications, new industry standards and more. That knowledge helps me better meet my customers’ needs.

When I start a project, I assess the needs of the customer and the specific project. I have to make sure that I’m giving everyone the best information available, and that I’m doing so in a way that has everyone on the same page before a project begins.

When a project gets underway, I make multiple job site visits, answer questions from the owner or engineer, inspect the project, facilitate product orders with the contractor – anything that needs to be done to ensure the project goes smoothly.

Then, during the final inspection, I’m able to certify the finished project, thanks to staying up to date on my certifications through continuing education courses. Continue reading My Knowledge, Your Knowledge

65 Years: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

By Davies Hood, Induron Executive VP, Birmingham, AL

Induron celebrates our 65th anniversary this year. I am beyond proud of this incredible professional AND personal landmark.

Reaching the 65-year mark makes me proud personally because of the success of my predecessors. That’s obviously my dad and granddad, but this anniversary is even more a testament to the management team and staff that’s worked here over the years. From the production crew and sales team, to the chemists, warehouse guys and store workers over the years, there’s a lot to be proud of.

  • In 1947, when our country was much smaller in population, there were many more paint manufacturers. Several existed in Alabama, and there were several in every major city in the country. Like many things, there’s been consolidation over the years. Even in my 15 years with Induron, I’ve seen significantly fewer small- to medium-size paint manufacturers nationwide.
  • Induron has stood the test of time because we’ve been flexible enough to adapt our business model to reflect current and changing tastes, but we’ve also consistently run our business with integrity. We treat our customers, employees and suppliers with integrity by doing what we say we’re going to do. We treat everyone with respect, because that’s what we believe in. Continue reading 65 Years: Looking Back and Looking Ahead