Georgia Powder Coating Ranks First in 2020 Powder Coating Operations

For roughly 20 years, Georgia Powder Coating (GPC), based in Gainesville, Georgia, has provided commercial and architectural high-specification powder coating services for government agencies, industrial operations and architectural companies. With an automatic-gun conveyor line for large quantity coating production and a batch operation for coating individual orders, GPC offers media blasting, powder coating and further packaging to OEMs and job shops. The company also accepts “off-the-street” projects to keep things interesting. GPC has worked hard to become one of the most experienced and respected metal powder coat finishing operations on the East Coast and it’s no surprise to see the company claim the top spot in Product Finishing’s Top Shops Benchmarking Survey for powder coating. GPC is constantly working to improve its operation and has invested in new equipment year after year. 

Of course, building a company takes time and perseverance. GPC got its start with just a handful of employees working out of the back of a poultry-processing warehouse. “We started in 1999, with four of us in an 8,000-square-foot facility,” recalls Dallas Cooley, vice president of sales. “In those days, we would stop the conveyor line in order to answer the phone. It was pretty challenging, but we wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.”

Today, GPC employs around 100 people and operates out of a 35,000-square-foot facility that occupies approximately 6 acres. It took plenty of hard work and dedication to get the company where it is today. GPC credits its Christian faith as the cornerstone of its core values and Counte Cooley, Dallas’ father and president of GPC, says the company’s culture is the real key to its success.

“Our culture is what separates us from our competitors,” he says.  “We care about the quality of our work in everything that we do, whether we are going through [today’s] COVID-19 problems or everyday working problems. If we have the right culture and commitment, we know that our outcome is going to be the best it can be for our customers and our employees.”

Dallas Cooley points out that what makes GPC successful is its focus on how to best serve its customers. “Frankly, we are so busy competing with ourselves that I couldn’t tell you what the competition is doing,” he says. “Our relentless quest for continuous improvement and exceeding the customers’ desires is daunting enough without looking over the fence to see what the competition is up to. That said, we are quite aware of their presence and respect them very much.”

It’s that desire for excellence and constant improvement that really defines GPC. Over the past five years, the company has invested in an array of new equipment and technology. According to Stanley Phillips, vice president of production, over the past few years the company has invested in a five-stage zirconium wash, a Nordson Colormax Booth, a climate-controlled powder storage room, a new conveyor, a 50' by 14' by 16' sandblast room, and numerous other expansions and improvements.

“We have just received our new 51-foot-long batch oven to replace our 35-foot-long oven, and we have upgraded or added significant components yearly for the last decade or so,” says Cooley. 

In the midst of all of these improvements, Cooley is quick to point out that the most important investment that GPC makes is in its people. “We select [our staff] carefully, and no matter how many millions we spend on equipment and machinery, they are GPC, and we share our profits and awards accordingly,” he says.

Even in these uncertain times as businesses struggle to adjust to what the industry will look like as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, GPC remains focused on moving forward. The company is hoping to close on an additional acre of property soon that will expand its operations and workflow processes.  

When asked about their thoughts on the coronavirus crisis, the Cooleys focus on looking ahead. “My post-COVID-19 hopes are that our country would reclaim our stake as the manufacturing empire that we have been in the past,” says Dallas. “My hopes are like everyone’s – that we become a more responsible and accountable society,” Counte adds. “The usual before COVID-19 and post COVID-19 are going to be different. They have to be.” 

One thing is clear for GPC. The company’s business strategy will remain focused on its customers. As he talks about GPC’s success, Dallas Cooley circles back to that core value, invoking the company’s motto. “Our proprietary processes and systems are designed to ensure that parts are ‘done right, on time, every time,’ making our customer’s life a little easier.”