CoatingsPro Interview Series

IUPAT Raises the Bar to Support Coatings Professionals

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) represents 140,000 workers in the finishing trades across the United States and Canada. In this episode, IUPAT’s Andrew Croll and Ken Seal share insights on the organization’s mission to support and train professionals in the coatings industry; its strategies pertaining to recruiting and retaining workers; emerging technologies and jobsite trends in the industry; and much more.

Employee Ownership: A Growth Tool for Coatings Companies?

Gary Gray, a longtime coatings contractor and an executive with Tenor ESOP Partners and ESOP Consulting Group, LLC, says he is seeing considerable momentum toward broad-based employee ownership as a growth tool.

With the strategy (learn more) also representing a tax advantaged exit alternative, Gray explains why he believes the momentum is especially strong in the construction sector. 

2025 World of Concrete: Industry Leaders Speak Out

While at the 2025 World of Concrete show in Las Vegas, CoatingsPro Magazine caught up with leaders from several industry companies for brief interviews on the Exhibit Hall floor. Companies profiled in this series, in alphabetical order, include BrandSafway; Crown Polymers; Graco; Key Resin Company; Polymer Nation; PPG; and Quikspray Inc.

Using AI for Product Development in Coatings and Beyond

Greg Mulholland, founder and CEO of Citrine Informatics, shares his perspective on how artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly affecting the coatings industry and others linked to materials protection and performance. Discussion topics include development processes influenced by AI; feedback from industrial users; strategies for using AI to adapt to industry trends and new regulations; what the future evolution of AI may look like; and available resources to learn more.

Abrasives Inc. Works to Stay Ahead of Surface Prep Trends

Russell Raad, president of “one-stop shop” Abrasives Inc., joins a sponsored episode of the CoatingsPro Interview Series with insight on his company’s unique specialties and market position.

Discussion topics include marketplace trends, changes, and regulatory impacts; unique challenges to the surface preparation of industrial coatings jobs; strategies to incorporate feedback from contractors and end users; an outlook for the future; and available resources from Abrasives Inc. to assist in these processes.

How Crown Polymers Is Lifting the Floor Coatings Market

Kaveh Meghdadpour, Director of National Accounts and Business Development and the East Region Manager at Crown Polymers, joins this sponsored episode.

Discussion topics include industry trends and pain points within floor coatings; successful case studies using Crown solutions; the importance of manufacturers and contractors working together; and strategies to address potential industry concerns in the years ahead, such as workforce development.

How the Specialty Contractor Market Is Evolving

Kyle McDonald, Project Manager at Western Specialty Contractors in Delray Beach, Florida, joins the CoatingsPro Interview Series with insight on his job and beyond. Discussion topics include standout projects from his time at Western; unique coating factors to consider with concrete substrates and his regional market; industry trends related to technologies, materials, equipment, and workforce development; and much more.

Veterans Find New Ways to Serve in Military Coatings

U.S. Navy Veteran Matt Flory is a global business director at Sherwin-Williams, where he leads the industrial group’s military coatings segment.

With a team comprised largely of Veterans, Flory shares perspective on what they bring to the coatings industry and the role they can play in overcoming workforce development challenges.

For the military market, Flory also outlines recent technological innovations such as chemical agent resistant coatings (CARC); anti-microbial solutions; enhanced corrosion primers; and more.

Exploring the Present and Future of Spray Polyurethane Foam

Ken Wells, co-owner of Elite Insulation & PolyPro and president of the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) Board of Directors, joins the CoatingsPro Interview Series. Discussion topics include goals for his current SPFA term; challenges and opportunities within the evolving marketplace of the SPF industry; and resources from the SPFA that can be of assistance.

AkzoNobel, coatingAI Partner on AI for Application Processes

Jeff Jirak, managing director of AkzoNobel’s global powder coatings business, explains how new coating technologies are helping to mitigate corrosion in the built environment.

The show also explores the manufacturer’s recent development partnership with CoatingAI, which aims to assist contractors and installers with application processes while reducing their carbon footprint.

Related links: U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partners, Interpon, AkzoNobel on LinkedIn