This Q&A was originally published in Water Industry News for the American Water Works Association’s Annual Conference & Exposition.
CEO of Induron Protective Coatings, Davies Hood, understands the importance of not only supplying the water and wastewater market with state-of-the-art technology, but also providing customers with exceptional support and service.
Q: Tell us about your company. What’s your focus?
A: Founded in 1947, Induron Protective Coatings is a privately-held industrial coatings manufacturer. Specializing in water and wastewater applications, Induron produces unique coatings solutions that protect a variety of assets and infrastructures. From our industry standard ductile iron wastewater pipe lining, Protecto 401, to our unique and proven line of ceramic epoxies, such as PermaClean 100 and Ceramasafe 90, Induron’s high-performance coatings protect nearly any immersion surface for water and wastewater treatment.
Q: What would you say makes your business unique?
A: Three generations of family ownership and management results in a company that treats its employees, customers and suppliers as true partners and family members. We stand with our customers and behind our products in times of trouble. When the chips are down, nobody wants to go to a jobsite where everyone is pointing at the guy next to him. As the owner of the company, I realize it’s a lot better in the long run to stand with, not against, our best customers.
Q: What are your greatest challenges in this industry?
A: In many cases, our real competition is status quo. Many people are resistant to change, even if they are offered a “better mouse-trap.” As a result, we are constantly competing with the old adage, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
Q: Are you introducing any new products at the show?
A: We are excited to promote our new AquaClean Epoxy, a NSF Std. 61 approved epoxy for lining potable water storage tanks. We produced AquaClean by slightly tweaking our tried and true PermaClean II Epoxy to make it applicable to the potable water market. Using the state-of-the-art technology, AquaClean is uniquely user friendly, good looking and long lasting, which will make it the go-to choice for professional painters and specifiers.
Q: What makes your company different from the competition?
A: Our innovative line of Ceramic Epoxies sets us apart and, in my opinion, ahead of others in the industrial coatings business. This line of Ceramic Epoxies, which includes Protecto 401, PermaClean and PermaSafe 100, Ceramapure, Ceramsafe 90 and TL-70, is proven to provide decades of corrosion protection in the ultra-corrosive water and wastewater markets. Applications include gravity sewer pipe lining, potable water tank lining, and lining for steel and concrete basins in the wastewater treatment industry. These Ceramic Epoxies contain ceramic beads which offer a range of benefits, including unrivaled film build, ultra-low permeability, non-ablative surface and absolute minimal undercutting.
Q: Who are your end users?
A: We deal exclusively with professional paint contractors, specifically contractors that specialize in lining pipe, painting storage tanks, maintaining industrial facilities or painting treatment plants. However, because they are the engineers directly responsible for the assets that our products protect, we also spend a significant amount of time and energy selling to engineers and water system owners/operators.
Q: To what do you attribute your company’s success?
A: It may sound corny, but we really do live by our mission statement, “Reliable Protection through Innovative Coatings.” When everyone on the team marches to this mission and lives by our core values of integrity, respect, reliability and innovation, we create a corporate culture that provides the best products AND service in the protective coatings industry.
Q: How can our readers find out more about your company?
A: Visit our website at www.induron.com, like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, OR contact one of our local sales reps.