Gregg Elliott with Hubbard Hall representatives at Sur/Fin 2017.
Seacole is proud to be a member of the National Association of Surface Finishing (NASF), the trade association for the Surface Finishing Industry. The Seacole leadership team is back from the 2017 Sur/Fin conference in Atlanta! The team had a great time catching up with our industry partners and receiving important updates and training on the surface technology industry. We wanted to share a few of our big takeaways with you.
1. The surface finishing industry is healthy.
A survey conducted by NASF, which hosts the Sur/Fin conference, found nearly half of surface finishing suppliers across the country have reported good business conditions since 2015. Generally, southern suppliers report more optimism than Midwest and coastal suppliers, but suppliers generally agree that the future of the industry is positive.
2. Wastewater control technologies continue to improve.
This is great news for our industry, especially for Seacole and other companies that are committed to environmental sustainability. Improvements in wastewater quality will help the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decide how to approach future regulation of surface finishing effluents, which the agency is expected to consider this summer.
3. However, the Toxic Substances Control Act is expected to remain law.
While the EPA may loosen regulations on effluents, industry experts expect the federal government to continue to implement the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which identifies several high-priority chemicals for regulation. This includes metals, such as nickel, used in the surface finishing industry.
At the same time, some states, including California and Oregon, are expected to implement stricter air emissions regulations for the surface finishing industry.
4. We expect some changes to labor rules for the surface finishing industry.
With the recent leadership changes at the Department of Labor, surface finishing industry leaders believe changes to labor rules will likely shake up surface finishing workplaces. Look for changes to overtime rules and how companies are required to report injury and illness.
5. Surface finishing suppliers will continue to serve innovative industries.
Atlanta was picked as the site for the 2017 Sur/Fin conference because it’s a hub for all sorts of innovative industries. Many of the breakout sessions and vendors at the conferences focused on the needs of the aerospace, defense, and auto industries. We expect growth and innovation to continue in these industries, which impacts surface finishing chemistries and technologies.
Let us put our knowledge from Sur/Fin to work for you and your company. For more on the surface finishing industry or to place your surface finishing chemistries order, contact Seacole today.
