Believe it or not, there was a time before PowerPoint when the top minds in the surface finishing industry would stand before their peers and read a written paper on their research and process breakthroughs that they would share with others in a meaningful way to educate others.
I have seen photos of these industry gatherings from decades ago, where the room was filled with inquisitive people who came to listen and learn. The speaker at the podium would begin with an introduction, lay out their research, and finalize their talk with important takeaways that their peers could then go back to their facilities and work on improving the finishes and coatings they were applying in their shops.
And maybe the following year, one of the individuals sitting in that audience would come back to share their own research and development to further advance the technology, improve efficiencies, and work toward the betterment of the industry.
Those times seem so far removed from what we see today, which is far too many commercial presentations that are short on details, long on graphics, and have way too many words on the slide that hardly anyone can read past the first few rows.
We mention all of this as we recognize one person in this issue who has worked diligently to keep that tradition going as best he can. We feature in our "Legends" series Dr. James Lindsay, a retired researcher from General Motors whom I have known for almost twenty years now. Dr. Jim, as I like to call him, was proficient in presenting his own research to the industry masses in ways that shared his findings and assisted his fellow chemists and electroplaters.
Those days are long gone, but Dr. Jim is one man who continues to bring that tradition forward. As one who helps pick out the presentations at the annual electroplating conference, Dr. Jim takes it one step further: he sifts through the dozens of slide presentations every year. He tries to help presenters convert their research into written papers. Sometimes, it is easy, but it is often a struggle to pull enough information from the scant bits of information for him to prepare a rough draft for the author to review and hopefully expand on. Some presentations offer little help, but Dr. Jim pushes forward in hopes of keeping the tradition of having a half dozen papers written by the presenters for the industry to read. His success rate is diminishing, and that is a shame.
From my perspective, research papers are now few and far between. Most come from Asian researchers, and only a handful — two to three — come from North American researchers. I point this out because these industry conferences need to also be educational sessions instead of just a place for suppliers to set up a booth and try to convince attendees to stop by and chat. The finishing industry is all about trial and error, and encouraging these researchers and applicators to share their knowledge is paramount to keeping an industry vibrant and cohesive.
Dr. Jim continues to fight the good fight, working from his Michigan home to turn a lackluster slide presentation into something that will last a lifetime with someone's byline for others to read and learn from for decades. I wish more people see what Dr. Jim is trying to do for the industry and step up and take the time to write about their research and success for the industry to learn from. If that were the case, the finishing and coating industry would be a far better place for inquiring minds to learn the craft and push technology to a new level.
Tim Pennington is Editor-in-Chief of Finishing and Coating, and has covered the industry since 2010. He has traveled extensively throughout North America visiting shops and production facilities, and meeting those who work in the industry. Tim began his career in the newspaper industry, then wound itself between the sports field with the PGA Tour and marketing and communications firms, and finally back into the publishing world in the finishing and coating sector. If you want to reach Tim, just go 
