In Service of an Industry

In November, the surface finishing industry saw the return of SUR/FIN, typically the industry’s largest trade show and conference. This year the event was held in Detroit, Mich., a destination that seemed to hold some symbolism for a rebound for manufacturing after a couple of challenging years.

In the early 20^th century, the founding of Ford Motor Company set Detroit on the path to becoming the automotive capital of the world. As automotive companies set up shop in Detroit, the booming auto industry led the city to become a hub for the manufacturing industry and one of the largest cities in the U.S. Toward the latter part of the century, Detroit suffered decline as a result of urban sprawl, rising unemployment, as well as racial and socio-economic divides. In recent years, the city has been working to revitalize its downtown. While downtown businesses seemed to be struggling with the same staffing challenges that much of the hospitality industries are hampered with, I found Detroit with its stunning architecture to be an inspirational setting for the event. Each day walking past the Art Deco style of the Guardian Building on the way to the TCF Center, I found myself thinking about metal finishers working in bustling factories in the heyday of the Motor City.

Of course, as the world continues to cope with circumstances surrounding the COVID pandemic, SUR/FIN 2021 was inevitably destined to have a more modest attendance than in normal years. Yet despite its smaller audience, SUR/FIN had a hopeful energy. Many of the discussions that I had with attendees and exhibitors were positive and optimistic, looking toward the future of the industry and new opportunities. Exhibitors were talking about green solutions and finding ways to contribute to solving problems that are top of mind today — from coating innovations designed to help enable such megatrends as EVs and telecommunications to finding solutions for waste and environmental concerns.

Too often, metal finishing is instantly associated with pollution and emissions despite the fact that finishing operations are among the most highly regulated facilities in the world of manufacturing. While many of the chemicals required for metal plating operations are quite hazardous, most finishing facilities have made large investments in equipment and technologies to adhere to environmental regulations and have amassed years of expertise in dealing with the substances.

As regulatory discussions regarding such chemicals as hexavalent chromium and PFAS happen amidst legislative negotiations, The National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF) is working as an advocate for finishing operations. The association held a DoD workshop at SUR/FIN to educate people on proposed legislation aimed at phasing out hexavalent chromium processes in California and the potential impacts on the surface finishing and defense industries and supply chain.

At the same time, there are many companies working to advance technologies that offer alternatives that may be used in some applications.

It struck me that in the midst of all the legal battles over chemistries and in developing new ones, there are people in the finishing industry who care about putting finishes on parts, not just to keep their businesses afloat and their staff employed — but to keep cars on the road and planes in the air. To wit, these people put up with a lot of headaches to keep supplying the world with components necessary for society to function the way it does.

One of my experiences at SUR/FIN really impressed upon me the passion that the people working in this industry have for what they do. Products Finishing held a special ceremony to recognize recent honorees into PF’s Finishing Hall of Fame, our program devoted to recognizing historically significant individuals who have been instrumental in the development and growth of the surface finishing industry. Those recognized included Jim Jones (DIFCO), the late Clifford Roy (Roy Metal Finishing), Robert Burger (KC Jones Plating), Bill Saas (Taskem/Coventya), and the late Daniel Leonhardt (Leonhardt Plating Company). Each had devoted around 50 years of their lives to the surface finishing industry, through their work and advocacy.

Leaving the trade show for the day, I ran into Jim Jones on my walk back to the hotel. He spoke with humility about his days in the industry, saying, “When you have a calling, you don’t do it for the awards or for recognition. You do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

As we walked together, Mr. Jones talked of a life’s work and referenced the poem The Dash by Linda Ellis. The gist of the poem is this: on a person’s gravestone their birth date and the date of their death are separated by a dash — a simple mark that represents the years in between. “That dash is what’s important,” he smiled. “How are you going to make the most of your dash?”