Business Corner

Vitracoat- an Interview with Steve Houston

Vitracoat has expanded operations across multiple continents and is ranked amongst the top powder coating manufacturers in the world.

Gary Shawhan, Contributing Editor 09.30.19

M&A – Understanding the Dynamics for Buyers and Sellers (Part 1 of 2)

M&A activity, within the CASE/ specialty chemicals markets, continues at a very high level. Today, this is especially true in North America. In a large part this activity level is driven by the strength of the U.S. economy over the last few…

Gary Shawhan and Phil Phillips, The CHEMARK Consulting Group Contributing Editors 08.09.19

The Economics of Carbon Capture Coatings

I have been writing this column for 14 years. A guiding principle to which I have always attempted to apply to is giving the best business advice I could, based upon 40 years in the coatings, paints, adhesives and sealants industry. That advice from…

Phil Phillips, Contributing Editor 07.03.19

Want a Better Decision? Plan a Better Meeting.

MEETINGS EQUAL DECISIONS...GOOD ONES...POOR ONES! Effective meetings result in solid business decisions. However, far too many decision meetings are doomed from the outset. Decisions flow through organizations at every level constantly, a…

Phil Phillips, Contributing Editor 05.31.19

The Supply Chain – Your Brexit North Star

Brexit is coming! While the timing for its implementation is still uncertain, Brexit will impact many coating manufacturers importing product into both the EU and the UK. Recently, the EU granted a “flexible” Brexit extension until Octobe…

Ray Rex, Contributing Editor 05.10.19

The Role of Differentiation in Strategic Planning and Value Creation

Differentiation is an important attribute in strategy development and value creation. While this term is most often used in the context of a unique coating product or an additive technology, it also has much broader strategic implications. “…

Gary Shawhan and Phil Phillips, Contributing Editors 04.12.19

Brand Value- Considerations for Coating Formulators and Additive Supplies

Brand identity and brand strength are important components in establishing and sustaining the value of a company’s products or services. This applies to companies that participate at all levels of the supply chain including raw material manufac…

Gary Shawhan and Phil Phillips, Contributing Editors 02.11.19

Strategies for Growth: Considering the Options

Charting a successful growth path for your business begins with identifying and understanding the company’s core competencies and overall strengths. Sorting through and prioritizing the best paths forward requires management to first establish…

Phil Phillips and Gary Shawhan, Contributing Editors 01.07.19

Analytics: The Opportunity for Using “Big Data” in Strategy Development - Part 2

Awareness of the increased use of analytics as a business tool continues to grow. Its extensive use in retail markets to track and analyze consumer buying habits and preferences is something that touches almost all of us on a daily basis even if we d…

Gary Shawhan and Shiva Rapolu, President and Director of Analytics The CHEMARK Consulting Group 12.03.18

Analysis of China/U.S. Trade Relations

As the approaching trade war escalates between the U.S. and China, who is likely to win?

11.05.18

Analytics: The Opportunity for Using “Big Data” in Strategy Development - Part 1

Charting strategic direction for any coatings business is a necessary component of a successful revenue growth plan. The complexity of this challenge, for any specialty chemical (coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers) company large or small, cont…

Gary Shawhan, VP of Marketing CHEMARK Consulting Group 10.03.18

Who Said “May the Sales Force Be With You”? No One!

What sales skills and knowledge do your salespeople need to sell your products and services and what can you do to make them succeed? These are the key questions any small to medium sized company manager must ask about his/her sales force, experts…

Phil Phillip, Contributing Editor 09.01.18

Prospects . . . . Talk, Listen, Measure & Act

I’ve always been a fan of Harry Beckwith, author of the bestselling books “Selling the Invisible” and “The Invisible Touch.” Many of Mr. Beckwith’s sage advice based on astute observations have been adopted by succ…

07.03.18

Raw Material Cost Increases Vs. Alternatives

Researching our industry dynamics over the past several months, we have learned that although the growth in sales & demand is at an all time high for paint, coatings, adhesives, sealants & the overall specialty chemical industry, there contin…

Phil Phillips, Contributing Editor 06.04.18

Becoming More Strategic – Three Directives for Executives

You don’t need a formal strategy role to help shape your organization’s strategic direction. Start by moving beyond frameworks and communicating in a more engaging way. Are we entering the age of the STRATEGIST? We are observing…

Phil Phillips, Contributing Editor 05.04.18

What Does the General Finishes Global Market Look Like?

The Global Coatings & Paints Segmentation has three Strategic Groupings . . . . Product OEM, Special Purpose and Architectural. Within the Product OEM Strategic Group, there are eight Industrial Coating Segments with 86 Sub-Segments. Of the…

Phil Phillips, Contributing Editor 04.09.18

Brand Strategy

How must marketers keep their brands unique while making them central to their selective groupings? Industrial branding and retail branding have common issues. While serving entirely different segments and supply chains, they still make similar mi…

Phil Phillips, CHEMARK Consulting Contributing Editor 03.19.18

Entrepreneuial Growth & Vision Gaps in Privately Held Industrial Companies

Why Do Some Industrial Companies Fail @ Certain Generational Positions? ROADMAP for Future Direction

Phil Phillips, Contributing Editor 02.09.18

Some New, Some Old... Terms Used in Business in Today’s Economy

It wasn’t too long ago; say 2-3 years ago, that these terms were not used in everyday business to describe where we are; where we’re going; what limits presses upon us in achieving our business goals: analytics, guardrails, highways, head…

Phil Phillips, Contributing Editor 01.08.18