Six years doesn’t seem all that long ago, but in the publishing world, it sometimes feels like a lifetime. My calendar tells me that six years ago, in 2020, we published the very first FinishingAndCoating magazine, which in dog years adds up to about 89 years, or so I think.
Of course, everyone remembers how well 2020 went for everyone, as we were all wearing cool-looking designer masks and staring out the window at our neighbors during the pandemic. Could it have been that long ago? It seems like the Stone Age nowadays.
Of course, my career in writing about the finishing and coating industry is much longer; I actually got my start in 2010, so this is my 16th year of scouring North America for interesting and thought-provoking stories about plating, anodizing, powder and liquid coating, and all other things industrial finishing.
In these short six years — or 72 issues if you are counting by months — I have learned even more about the finishing and coating industry than I perhaps had never realized before. Here are six realizations about the industry to coincide with the birthday candles.
No. 1: I Would Never Want to Be a Shop Owner. I would love the money, of course, but I would not have the stomach or the spine to own a shop and deal with the issues facing today's finishers, from regulations to labor to increasing costs to picky customers; I wouldn't last six days, let alone six weeks. Hats off to all you who have made this your vocation.
No. 2: The Finishing Industry is the Most Environmentally Conscious Industry Around. The industry earned its reputation the hard way back in the 1950s-1970s, but walk into any shop today, and you will see environmental safeguards and procedures in place to protect the environment, workers, and neighborhoods more than any other business operating. Owners know they can't run a business being bad stewards or lawbreakers. It's a perception that needs to change.
No. 3: Owners and GMs of Shops are the Most Secretive on the Planet: Many shop owners will tell you they have never set foot in another finishing operation, nor would they allow another shop in the door. There are a few that have an open-door policy, but many prefer to keep their trade secrets just that.
No 4: It Can Be Lonely at the Top: Adding on to my previous statement about isolationism amongst owners and GMs, I get the feeling from many of those owners and managers that the job of running a shop can be as stressful and taxing (and not just in money) as any in the manufacturing industry. Being last in the manufacturing process can be even more stressful, and time is of the essence; some owners and GMs struggle with that demand mentally, which can be detrimental to their health and sanity. Bless all of you.
No. 5: There is a Worry About Consolidation in the Industry. And there should be, as investors are purchasing more family-owned shops, and that changes the landscape for how OEMs want to deal with their suppliers. In addition, the mergers in the supplier industry are driving up costs and making it even harder to run a shop.
No. 6: Perception About the Industry Needs to Change. People still perceive finishing and coating as an often dirty part of the manufacturing cycle, and it is anything but. The industry is made up of surface finishing engineers who are critical to parts working and staying in the market. That needs to come across front and center and emphasize the skills, abilities, and artistry of the experts running finishing and coating shops.
Thank you all for making six years and 72 issues possible.
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 
