An Interview With... Tony Revier, Uyemura International

For many years, Tony Revier has served as the president and CEO of Uyemura. He is a past Metal Finishers Suppliers Association (MFSA) president and has served on the National Association of Metal Finishers (NAMF) and MFSA boards. He was an integral part of the creation of the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF). Revier is also a recipient of  Products Finishing’s Hall of Fame Award for 2022.

PF recently spoke with Revier about his thoughts on association work, the future of the industry and his career in metal finishing.

PF: Tell us about your background and how you got started in metal finishing.

TR: It started back in 1970 after I finished my tour of duty in the U.S. Navy. I ended up working for a chemical company in Henderson, Kentucky, as a chief chemist. We were a major distributor of commodity chemicals, but also plating chemicals. I ran the labs and some manufacturing there, and then I started going out in the field with our salesman doing technical support. One thing led to another, and I was interviewed by the folks from M&T. I ended up joining them in 1972 in Chicago as a tech service guy.

After about four years, M&T asked if I would transfer to California. I ran the technical department for a while and then became regional manager. I did that for a number of years, and then moved into the equipment business for a period of time, working for Baker Brothers Systems Engineering in Boston. That lasted for about three years, and then the company went through some changes and was going to be sold. We had a relationship with the company I’m with now, Uyemura, and they asked me to come out to California to help restart their company.

PF: You recently announced a big change in senior leadership. Explain what your new role is.

TR: Part of our five-year plan was succession planning at different levels in the company. I plan to be with the company for another three years to help with the transition and continue to strengthen our senior management. Mark Eonta is our new president, and he’s very capable. He spent many years with electro-chemicals prior to joining us, so he knows the industry and the customer base. The important thing for me is that we build a very strong culture in the company where people want to be here and they’re excited about what they’re doing.

PF: What are your thoughts on the importance of association work within this industry?

TR: I was heavily involved in the creation of NASF, and I think that the association is extremely important to the industry. I’ve always felt that in any industry that you participate in, you should give back as much as you receive. I think that if you’re really going to be in an industry, you need to make sure that it’s sustainable for the future. In some cases, you’ll be working with your competition, but it’s always understood that we have a common goal: to make sure the association or the industry continues.

PF: What’s your take on educational efforts to prepare the next set of leaders for this industry?

TR: The big challenge for all of us in the industry is attracting young people. One of the things that we also did when we formed the NASF was to improve the educational sessions at SUR/FIN and make them more effective. We created a boot camp, and it really was a revelation for some folks that there was such a big interest. We have different companies in the industry do sessions to help new people learn more about what we do.

PF: Based on your experience and your involvement in this industry, how has it changed over the years?

TR: It’s changed dramatically. In a lot of areas, the technology has had to really advance to keep up with the demands of the customers. We see that especially in electronics.

And we certainly have seen so many industries that have left the United States, and there seems to be a movement now to understand more about the effects of not having manufacturing here. There’s a lot of interest and discussion now in D.C. and other places about this whole idea of re-shoring.

PF: The last thing I wanted to talk about was your induction into Products Finishing’s Hall of Fame. What has your career meant to you over the years?

TR: I really have loved this industry. It’s provided quite a career for me and my family. We moved around a lot and experienced a lot of different environments, areas and challenges. I never envisioned myself really being a part of the Hall of Fame. It’s exciting for me, I've really tried over the years to really give back as much as I can. I’m very humbled.

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Listen to the complete interview with Tony Revier in an episode of our On the Line podcast. Visit short.pfonline.com/OTL17.