Tag Archives: Linc York

Before, After and Later

Coatings,
BEFORE

By Linc York, Induron Sales Rep

It was the dog days of the hot summer of ’09. Italgrani flour milling had a concrete elevator structure standing over 200-feet tall, located on the shores of the Mississippi River in south St. Louis, Missouri.

The concrete façade was dirty, chalky and a general eyesore. Ownership wanted to change that image of decay with a coat of paint. When the bidding was complete and the dust settled, Bazan Painting of St. Louis was awarded the project. Their project manager was Kevin White and he certainly had his work cut-out for him. Continue reading Before, After and Later →

The 9 Lives of Galvanized Steel, Part II

Coatings, ,

By Linc York and Kendall Smith, Induron Sales Reps

The previous blog post, The 9 Lives of Galvanized Steel, Part I, describes the stages or conditions of galvanized metal as it ages or weathers. The pure zinc layer on the surface first reacts with oxygen to form zinc oxide, then that oxide layer reacts with moisture in the environment to form zinc hydroxide. Finally, zinc hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to yield a thin, quite insoluble dull grey layer of zinc carbonate. Continue reading The 9 Lives of Galvanized Steel, Part II →

Bringing Home the Bacon

Induron Values

By Linc York, Induron Sales Rep

Successful sales are about developing relationships built upon trust, and many times, this involves going the proverbial extra mile. Nothing new about that.

I have often said that one of the best things about selling protective coatings is that no two days are alike. I love the variety and diversity of calling on different people in different roles and working for different companies. My sales philosophy has always been that when my customer calls me, they have my undivided attention and are assured that I will do everything I can to fulfill their request. Continue reading Bringing Home the Bacon →

Ignoring Infrastructure: The Future is Here

Infrastructure, ,

In a world that is controlled by budgets, needs often have to be prioritized and sometimes forgotten. Long-term corrosion needs of our nation’s infrastructure, such as water tanks, bridges, electrical transmission towers, power poles, waste water treatment plants and more are being ignored far too often. In this four-part series, we talk about why we think failing infrastructure should be at the top of the list and explore what we can do about it.

By Linc York

I recently read an article that stated that the federal government estimates it will cost more than $600 billion over the next 20 years to repair the water and sewer systems in the United States. My first thought was the enormity of the expected costs. Naturally, my second thought is that government estimates are predictably wrong and most often they are vastly underestimated. So what are we to do? Can these monies be spent wisely? Continue reading Ignoring Infrastructure: The Future is Here →

Don’t Tread on Me

Coatings, Induron, Induron In the News, , , , , , ,

By Linc York, Induron Sales Representative

Don't Tread on MeThe U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is proposing new LEED regulations for the paint and coatings industry, prompting some of us in the industry to ask, “Why?”

I’ve been in this industry for 40 years. When I started, there was no such thing as VOC restrictions, and there were no regulations on how much solvent you could have in a can of paint. In the 1970s, many paints were more than 50 percent solvent. Some even contained lead, chrome, asbestos and other heavy metals. However, since those times, the industry has adapted to current standards and those harmful additives are thankfully things of the past.

For the last 30 years, the paint and coatings industry has been going in two environmentally friendly directions at the same time. We have been developing zero-VOC coatings, as well as low-VOC-containing water-based technology in all our generic coatings lines. We have innovated many products that are commercially available and sold daily that are both HAPS (Hazardouse Air Pollutants) AND VOC-free. It doesn’t get any better than that. Additionally, new water-based technology is being developed all the time.

So, my point is this – in my opinion, the paint industry is way ahead of the curve.  We don’t need more regulations. We compete against ourselves, forcing new and innovative products that are always being developed. Couple R&D innovation with the architects and engineering communities who are on the cutting edge of compliance regulations, and that keeps all good paint and coatings manufacturers ahead of government over regulation. We don’t need more bureaucracy!

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.  

Look for Innovation, and the World Will Beat a Path to Your Door

Coatings, Induron, Induron Values, Infrastructure, , ,
By Linc A. York, Induron Sales Rep, Troy, MO

How do you get the world to beat a path to your door? You know the answer – build a better mousetrap.

When I read this article from Coatings Tech magazine online, I thought immediately of this phrase. The “open innovation” approach discussed in this article is a new spin on what I’ve called “building a better mousetrap” in the coatings industry.  The authors of the piece emphasize how much competitive advantage is gained when we look outside our own company for the best ideas for new and innovative products and applications.

Before we knew what to call this concept, we were doing it here at Induron.  We draw on many sources of information – raw material suppliers, the needs and desires of our customers, new technology we’re seeing in the marketplace, our R&D staff, and of course our sales force – for new product ideas. Then we’re nimble enough to develop, test and launch a product in six to 12 months. Continue reading Look for Innovation, and the World Will Beat a Path to Your Door →

Induron: Helping Kids Beat the Summer Heat

Coatings, Induron, Induron Values, , , ,

By Linc York, Induron Sales Rep, Troy, MO

Not all epoxy coatings are created equal. I have read dozens of specifications that call for using a polyamidoamine epoxy coating in immersion and corrosive environments. Other than being hard to spell and pronounce, polyamidoamine epoxies are highly cross-linked, chemical- and abrasion-resistant protective coatings. However, that is where the similarities apparently end.

Bazan Painting Company has been in business since 1977, and as an industrial painting company, has worked with all the major and many of the smaller manufacturers of coatings. They typically paint 30 to 40 swimming pools every year. That’s a lot of responsibility for summer fun, and Bazan Painting has earned an excellent reputation. In addition to being a demanding task, it is a very short painting season – from the end of winter in the mid-West until pools open on Memorial Day. The protective coating has to be tinted correctly and delivered on time. Eric Hellwig, Bazan’s Purchasing Agent, says that Induron’s customer service is the best.

Walt Bazan, Jr., the owner, had been using a well-known polyamidoamine epoxy for years. It seemed to be working O.K., but he noticed that some customers were complaining that it just wasn’t holding up very well.

Fortunately, Walt agreed to try Induron Perma-Clean II polyamidoamine epoxy on a couple of pools as a test. And as they say, the rest is history. Continue reading Induron: Helping Kids Beat the Summer Heat →

Induron: Rescuing Tanks from Kids with Rocks

Coatings, Water, , , ,

By: Linc York, Induron Sales Representative

Boys will be boys. And boys will throw rocks.

In Olathe, Kansas, those thrown rocks turned into a huge recoating project when the city planned to coat their 4.5 million-gallon standpipe, called Black Bob 2. Because the tank is located in a busy city park, some of the town’s youngsters threw rocks at it, chipping off the paint and causing corrosion and undercutting. Continue reading Induron: Rescuing Tanks from Kids with Rocks →

We ‘Spec It’s Time to Save Some Money

Wastewater Industry, Water, , , ,
By Linc York, Induron Sales Representative

You’ve got a project. You’re creating a specification. Induron wants to be part of that spec, and we’ll almost always save you or your client money and make your project easier.

It’s that simple.

At Induron, we do more than just manufacture protective coatings. We are dead serious about building relationships (our boss Davies wrote about this in a previous blog post) that can turn into real, tangible savings for you and your client. So, how can a spec save you money or even make your project easier? Continue reading We ‘Spec It’s Time to Save Some Money →