Cross link Bonding Agent is not a chemical a recipe for success. This is:
The Bond we share is not chemical. It's a principle we all subscribe to. The moment a Re finisher understands the success of their company is about putting faith in their own ability and supplier is the key.
The word Cross link bonding agent is not even real description used in the chemical industry. A Pre Substrate Surface Surface Treatment is a " coupling agent"
Our Definition of a Crosslink Bonding Agent is the moment our paths cross a shared link is established to bond Bond Both our Companies in a (B2C) format predicated on the principle that we jointly agree that from that moment forward we are linked by our mutaul agreement and will be dedicated to the principles of helping each other gain mutual success. We take care of each other.
That can't be found in a coating, and its surely not a chemical. That's the crosslink bonding agent that will leads both our companies to success. NOT A CHEMICAL. It's the principal and dedication we share to support and help each other. Priceless. Now that's adhesion and it's priceless.
Gary Goel, E.A.H. Industrial Spray Equipment & Coatings. Or just plane old Gary.
EAH INDUSTRIAL's Fair Trade Policies & AKZONOBEL PARTNER
WHY we "CHOOSE NOT" to compete with our customers.
It's Unethical and illegal but NOBODY had to tell George Martin President of our Company this. Because His companies live it. I'm grateful to have learned and experienced the HARD TEST OF TEMPTATION and it worked out.
But I'm even more grateful to have been tested and come out the other side " whole" and " Proud" to have passed the transitional defining question of when you consciously make the choice to become either
" SUPPLIER REPRESENTATIVE"
or a
" BAIT AND SWITCH SUPPLIER ".
This is not a cry me a river story, unless your sentimental and really appreciate the forces in play. This is a real story that touched lives in the E.A.H. Family of customers. I'm pleased to admit I was tempted but I made the right choice and did so with the guidance of one of the industries
TRUEST FRIENDS: George Martin.
His stewardship guided me to choose wisely. I was
edified as he likes to point out.
There is no dollar amount that can buy this kind of good will. In this case Mr. Martins good will prevailed. Not just for me financially but to grow as a person and be glad my choice had an
unexpected enormous impact on a friends life. Irony hat only true believers can appreciate.
EAH HAS ALWAYS PRACTICED AND A B2B DOCTRINE and based on the fact the largest coatings company in the world requires it of all it's employees gives this post some authority. Knowledge.
Based on the attachment .PDF from our Partner AkzoNobel the
Large Coatings Company in the World and their World Wide internal Policies and legal Compliance's are important enough they required of all its employees and
affiliates account holders (EAH) to subscribe to these policies.
So after you read the attachment be advised. Nothing has changed at E.A.H. because the company was founded with these policies lived first then written.
I want to share with you a true story:
My First Real Encounter with Fair Trade and Competition Laws:
Some Suppliers in the bathtub refinishing fly under the radar in this regard as the only thing governing their day to day operations are words like morals,values, or a personal or company code of ethics. In this industry many suppliers are lacking.
These words get tossed around way to easy. I am sure it's due to the fact the Bathtub Refinishing is really a tiny market when compared to auto, marine, architectural, decorative, industrial products.
Before the PBRA no formal organization was available and solely dedicated to the promotion and sharing between Independently owned Bathtub Refinishing companies.
Now refinishers are collaborating together in a great way to help and promote the industry. But these " Refinishing Mills " keep pumping out and pumping out for $500 be your own boss make $150 bucks an hour. I get it. Really, it's appealing but totally unrealistic.
The " ALMIGHTY" dollar A.K.A. (carrot) is dangled in your face and it's easy to forget the lofty words like, ethical, moral, scruples, proper, and replace them with rent,food,toys,education, livelihood. It's as if they are not capitalized properly and will do and say anything to get you to buy
We all have all been there.
Bathtub Refinishing Companies Turning Supplier know this and actually quickly develop selective memory syndrome when confronted with it. My Story is not about policing an industry its about actually living this personal challenge and being tested in a way that is completely foreign to most self employed people. I had to say " NO " when my bank account was screaming YES!
I had only one word to say to NET $65,000 and that word was "yes" Everything in me wanted to to say yes as this was quite possibly the best deal I've ever accidently had won by default.
As a Professional Bathtub Refinisher your going to appreciate this story because as I look back and reflect it was a defining moment for me and how I appreciate my customers and this Industry.
This was my first encounter and test as a supplier to the bathtub refinishing industry and I am extremely grateful for the lesson because in the end we saved a refinishers home, cars, and paid for the birth of a second child and in return 6 months later the person we helped was there for me and my family PRAYING over and GIVING LAST RIGHTS to my dying brother. I don't want to rush through this because it's a real life lesson for business and how to properly appreciate those who trust your judgement and products. I trusted E.A.H. and my life is forever changed for the better.
NO NON COMPETE LAW COULD COMPEL ME MORE THEN THIS EXPERIENCE:
Less than a year ago this one occurrence stood out. A Marriott called the number on our label because one of their hotel engineers hired someone to Refinish 200 bathtubs on a Hotel Rennovation Refinishing Project. The tubs were coming out horrible! Turns out one of the engineers had talked to a young man who bought into a $500 certificate bathtub refinishing program telling the world he was a Refinisher.
The nightmare and sad truth for the Bathtub Refinishing Industry Unfolds:
People who run these Bathtub Refinishing "Spray Mills " " Learn to Refinish for $500" is to dupe a person out of money along with collateral damage to the entire industry.
This is one of the local Marriotts first experience Bathtub Refinishing. Basically they keyed a word in google. " Bathtub Refinishing" and they are greeted with all this advertising telling the world for only $500 bucks and a weekend anyone can be a refinisher. Existing refinishers now have an uphill battle convincing the public that this is a hard earned trained. It requires years or experience to blend both Art and Science on a different venue everyday. I think the best bathtub refinishers would make great LOGISTICS OFFICERS as the details of this trade are fluid and Fast.
At $500 a pop as a consumer Immediately makes an assumption and conflict comes to mind because there are those who use words like Art, Science, Pride, Logistics, Determination, and all the other skills sets and years of hard earned trade secrets, and Good Will to earn and own an Ethical business can be replaced with a DVD or $500 and a weekend. I don't know about you guys but if I had the secret to NETTING $100 Bucks an Hour in an 8 Hour Day I wouldn't be selling it every week end for $500.00
EVERY Refinisher is painted by the perception of the cost of your education. Was my father wrong when he told me:
"education is the sum total of your lifes experiences.?"
Ask yourself do you think or know if Refinishing is classified as a "TRADE"?
By definition I know it is:
TRADESMAN
Economically and socially, a tradesman's status is considered between a laborer and a professional, with a high degree of both practical and theoretical knowledge of their trade.
In cultures where professional careers are highly prized there can be a shortage of skilled manual workers, leading to lucrative niche markets in the trades.
Someone edify me please? How can you define your business as place where the General Public can honestly inquire about refinishing services being provided by a tradesman if you by definition do not have a " HIGH DEGREE " of " BOTH " Theoretical and Practical experience. Can you condense that in a DVD? A Book? A Video? I think it's safe to say we can probably get the theoretical online but I can also learn to drive a video game online racing cars but that won't get me to the Indy 500. Because it's a skill. It's a trade. You have to live it and hone it like a knife until its razor sharp. We all have to Start Somewhere. I get this. We all had to start somewhere. Before I wrote this I had to ask myself HOW DID I GET STARTED? We all have a beginning.
When I think about the answer I remember the hard times that influenced me to put up a web site. A tiny Message board. Basically a cry into wilderness. It was answered by AL PEREZ of GLOBAL REFINISHING. He was the first member. Lots of history since then. Many ups and downs but like always a tradesman allows his failures to REFINE not DEFINE the company. Every year that goes by in this business if you survive you will look back and say to yourself " WOW, how did I do that? " You old timers know what I mean.
Back to the story:
Anyway, i took the call and this guy is ranting about how horrible the tubs are coming out and as the manufacture wanted to know why? As if the coating sprayed itself right? It also turns out this call is from the east coast and when I asked the Marriott executive where this was happening he replied San Antonio. Not till the end did he or I know the Hotel job on question was 15 Minutes from EAH. The guy was ecstatic when i told him I'd go look. Upon arrival i met the team, the engineerers, the rehab.contractor, and other out of town executives.
After the review and visiting with Refinisher and all parties, they all got briefed on what it really takes to do a job of that magnitude, the scope of work and education to make a good decision.
Well unexpectedly they asked if we could do it. They told George Martin and I they only wanted us. It made senses in every aspect and the more we said no the more they offered until they made this one final offer.
They offered 200 plus tubs at a great price, plus they would buy all materials, sundries, solvents, they even paid for PPS, Sand paper, bondo, anything and everything you can imagine to do the job. They panicked when we still said NO!
You see George Martin and EAH represent a true reliable ethical business.
I have to Quote.this one sentence George Martin shared with me and I sure wished I'd used it as a " Mantra"
Gary says: to George Martin $65,000 NET is a lot of money sir.?
George Martins Reply: Yes it is, so lets
" Give" this to one of our customers and support them so they can make it.
" and don't forget business is the reflection of it's owners." Don't ever compete against your customers as to do so is tantamount to forgetting or ignoring who brought you to the party". He's right
. Our Customers help us in our lives and we have a fiduciary responsibilty to return your patronage.
Those are not just words. It's how EAH was founded and EAH is the extension of the man. In the end Dan Janson of Surface Tech ended up getting picked out of a hat, He in turn called Danny Wolford of New Image in Houston plus and.a few others.
They enjoyed doing a job where all they had to do is show up and spray. Marriott paid for all their coatings, equipment filters, paper tape, filters, Lense covers, condo, Everyone who participated didn't pay for anything but gas to get there.
That's the EAH difference. I get calls everyday, and.customers walking in with their company T shirts on telling me they work for Texas based R.S. There's a company here called Resurface Connection or Something to that effect and their owners are suppliers to the industry but if they tell anyone they will get fired. But I guess it's rampant. Who is Beautiful Finishers?
Who is Tub King?
Who is Surface Connection?
And yes their more, but you see my point?
We are a business to business operation and your treated as such.
B2B
Your company is business to customer.
B2C The spin or advertising is a must and should exist between a B2C operation. It's your advertising expense. EAH helps other businesses in everyway possible As a B2B Operation Not in a B2C Retail mode.
Fiduiary responsibilites should.
should in a B2B platform.
This is why we are phasing out words like bonding agent, wipe on primer, as they really fall into a surface treatment using a
" coupling agent " in a coating matched to a silane surface treatment as part of achieving the maximum surface profile for bonding.
Save the Crosslink Density Jargon for wowing your customers. We are here to help not feed you more propaganda.
And to all those that offer a revolving door refinishing mill operation $500 a pop, Here's done advice. This job is education blended with Art and science coupled with years of skill. To Flood the Web with advertising that states your ready for business and it's the American Dream etc... For $ bucks on a weekend Whatever your poisonous propaganda machine can pump out. The message is your telling the world that anyone can do this. It makes you and the collateral damaged companies with time and grade in the refinishing business look cheap. I know to many refinishers who have been doing this job many years and I'll not do anything to contribute to mass production wholesale killing of a once great industry. EAH success of helping is aa practiced doctrine of business reality. We live this everyday.
Those weekend courses at $500 a pop are The first things the general public sees when the phrase " Bathtub refunding " is keyed.
First impression to the public is the price you paid for your education. I leave you with this thought so wipe your brain with crosslink bonding agent, adhesion promoter, or Bulldog or Qm 1200 so that this sticks and permanently bonds and will never peel off your memory.
The cost of any " real "education can be expensive. But the price you pay for "NOT " having one is much greater. And all refinishers pay the price. A much higher price.
http://www.akzonobel.com/system/images/AkzoNobel_Competition_Law_Compliance_Manual_tcm9-16085.pdf
Cincinnati Ohio Bathtub Refinishing Fitzgerald Creative Coatings Radio 
