This month, Jim Castiglia, our esteemed business coach writer who assists entrepreneurial business owners, wrote an interesting article that points out something that I have seen in almost two decades of covering the finishing and coating industry.

It was four years ago that this all began—right in the middle of the pandemic—when we all looked at each other and asked, "Why not?"

As we all know, actions have consequences, and I'm sure many of us have been told that many times, including when we were kids, and our parents were trying to teach us the difference between right and wrong.

Trust me; I wasn't trying to start a major uprising when I reported on a Stellantis official going on CNN saying that the automaker was removing chrome from its cars in the next wave of style enhancements.

Finishing and coating shops are, by their nature, family businesses. It seems that 60% or more of shops are owned and operated by a family, usually one entering its fourth, fifth, or sixth decade, if not more.

Hardly a week goes by that I don't get an item on my Google news feed on finishing that someone from the industry has passed away.

Ivan Padron didn't roll over when government officials tried to shut down his metal finishing operation.

I’m not sure what attracted so much attention to my article on the nine Connecticut plating shops that forged a partnership to help ensure a reliable workforce in the future.

Most finishers are eternal pessimists, which is appropriate considering they never know when their next order may come through the door or if they might get undercut by a cheaper coater down the road, which has been in business for only a few years.

Any day now, more than 2,000+ electroplating shops will get a letter from the U.S. EPA asking them to take an extensive survey called “Chrome Finishing Industry Data Collection.”

It seems as if a lot of shops have made their shopping list for new or upgraded equipment for their electroplating and anodizing operations, which is a great indication of how strong the finishing industry truly is.

Eric Svenson Sr. has been fighting the good fight to save hexavalent chromium processing for some time now.

There were no candles to blow out, no cake to eat, no singing "He's a Jolly Old Fellow" or anything like that.

Hooking up to your local community wastewater treatment system is becoming even more of a risk factor for your finishing and coating operations.

Don McLean’s “American Pie” bemoans the day the music died in our country following the death of Buddy Holly and others in a 1959 plane crash.

There is no question that the top finishing and coating shops have dialed in their processes to deliver the best product to their customers.

When it comes to making a strong argument that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is overreaching when it comes to its proposed Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment for hexavalent chromium, listen to the people who supply our nation’s drinking supply.

Consolidation in any industry is a term often looked upon differently depending on what side of the fence your business lies on.

It is said to be optimistic is to assume things will work out. To be hopeful is to realize things can work out if you work at them.

Welcome to the New Year, which seems very similar to the one we just let go of. But we digress.

Who best than to get advice from your peers?

It must feel like the walls are closing in on the finishing industry these days, no matter how busy shops are and how robust the industry seems to be.