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| Bruce Nesbitt |
"The endless possibilities of product improvement using Teflon® coating excites me"
Bruce Nesbitt is a leader in the industrial coating field. His experiences over the years help to give perspective on the coating industry and how it has grown and evolved. In an effort to highlight some enduring coaters in the industry, we are presenting a series of interviews conducted with these highly regarded professionals. Our first Pioneer Series interview spotlight is on Bruce Nesbitt, of Orion Industries. Please read on to learn about Bruce's story in the coating industry.
Q: When was your company founded?
A: It was in 1964, in my parents’ basement.
Q: Who founded the company and why?
A:
I did. While I was in the hospital recovering from a broken ankle, a
friend brought me a magazine that had an article about LeMans racecars.
The article discussed how Porsche used a special coating on its engine
parts, helping to win the 24-hour LeMans race. Intrigued
by what I read I sent away for some samples of the special coating,
Molykote, and learned how to spray it on racecar parts. That was the
“primordial goo of Orion.” I used my mother’s oven in the basement to
cure the coating, and although those initial coatings did not involve
Teflon®, I began my relationship with DuPont™ Teflon® shortly thereafter
in 1966.
Q: What was the first significant piece of equipment you purchased?
A: An air compressor and an electric oven. Both got worn out.
Q: How would you describe the changes in the company now from when it was first started?
A: Far
more documentation now. NO more collegial transfer of tribal
knowledge. We now document everything and bar code all labor and
materials. However, never have I found a way to lose money on a job and
prosper, so we avoid losing jobs, or as the late Pedro Diaz of Boyd
Coatings so eloquently said years ago, “Avoid dog customers.”
Q: What would you consider significant milestones in your company?
A: Moving
from the sixth floor of a building to a ground floor location in 1969.
In addition to a larger working space, I also made changes to expand
the business. I purchased two DuPont™ Teflon® LIA businesses,
Fluorocarbon Company and Ekco Industrial Coatings. Ironically, Ekco had
offered me a job in 1969 and by 1982 I was buying them. In addition to
these events, several staff members have added to the company’s growth,
too numerous to mention. This is a really unusual industry, so creative
and clever staff have made all difference.
Q: How has the coating industry itself changed over time?
A: Wow,
much more regulation, especially government regulations. Heightened
government regulations have made for fewer marginal coaters but have
also increased overseas competition (especially for large housewares
jobs). The industry is more efficient, with tighter controls, allowing
for more automation and electrostatics.
Q: When did you get your LIA license from DuPont?
A: 1973 or so.
Q: How has being an LIA affected your company?
A: The
LIA status initially provided plenty of leads and assistance from the
DuPont sales force. Today, the LIA offers more technical assistance
from DuPont when needed. The LIA network is really much smaller but
with many more good firms.
Q: What is your favorite DuPont coating?
A: 958G-303, 420G-104, and the 851 acid primer series, which we use on a consistent basis
Q: What excites you about the future of the coating industry?
A: The
endless possibilities of product improvement using Teflon® coatings
excites me. I also look forward to the next phone call or e-mail with a
very unique question about “how will Teflon® coating help my product do
this or that.” After 50 years, I still get amped up over the new and
next opportunity. I meet the brightest folks imaginable with
imagination and that’s great!
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| Left to right: Bruce Nesbitt, Mike Patterson, and George Osterhout of Orion Industries at the 2013 DuPont Plunkett Awards |
We appreciate the time Bruce took to help us launch this interview series. To learn more about becoming a member of the LIA network Bruce spoke of in the interview or are interested in telling your Teflon story, email april@intechservices.com.
