Powder Coater Podcast

Bringing manufacturing back to America sounds promising, but are our factories, equipment, workforce, and industrial support systems ready to handle the demand? In this episode of The Powder Coater Podcast, host Kim Scott welcomes Brandon Acker, President of Titan Abrasive Systems, for a look beyond the headlines of reshoring and into the operational realities of rebuilding domestic manufacturing capacity. From aging infrastructure and production bottlenecks to the often-overlooked importance of abrasive blasting and surface preparation, this conversation explores the challenges that could determine whether American manufacturers can compete on quality, cost, and delivery. For powder coaters, job shops, and manufacturers alike, the bigger question is what it will take to turn reshoring opportunities into sustainable business growth.

The future of powder coating cannot be built from the top down alone. It will require stronger collaboration between coaters, suppliers, educators, industry organizations, and the people closest to the work — with clearer benchmarks, better knowledge sharing, and more room for applicator-led innovation. In Episode 83 of The Powder Coater Podcast, Kim Scott and Jim Kunkle wrap up their Six Huge Gaps in the Powder Coating Industry series by looking at the bigger structural questions facing the trade: how custom coaters are defined, what we should actually be benchmarking, where innovation really comes from, and who should take responsibility for moving the industry forward. The conversation challenges the idea that progress only comes from suppliers, associations, or large companies. Some of the most important ideas, efficiencies, and innovations are happening on the shop floor every day — but without better ways to share, recognize, and build on them, much of that knowledge stays isolated.

In Episode 82 of The Powder Coater Podcast, Kim Scott and Jim Kunkle continue their Six Huge Gaps in the Powder Coating Industry series by turning the conversation toward workforce development, training, and the next generation of skilled coaters. They explore whether powder coating has created clear enough career pathways, why different generations may need different approaches to learning, and how mentorship, technology, and knowledge sharing can help experienced professionals pass what they know to the people coming behind them. The bigger question: If we want to attract and keep the next generation, have we built an industry they can actually see themselves growing in?

The future of powder coating won’t be determined by better technology alone. It will depend on how well we transfer knowledge, develop people, create opportunity, and give the people closest to the work a greater role in shaping what comes next. In Episode 81 of The Powder Coater Podcast, Kim Scott sits down with longtime industry voice Jim Kunkle to kick off a new series examining six major gaps that could shape the future of powder coating. The conversation looks beyond equipment and chemistry to the business and workforce challenges happening underneath the industry: succession, the loss of experienced knowledge, workforce development, generational learning differences, clearer career pathways, better ways to define and benchmark custom coaters, and the need for more innovation to come directly from the applicators doing the work every day. At the center of the discussion is a bigger question: As one generation of owners and industry experts begins to step away, what are we doing to make sure the next generation is ready to take their place? This episode sets the stage for a deeper conversation about where the powder coating industry is strong, where important gaps remain, and what coaters, suppliers, educators, associations, and industry leaders can do together to build a stronger future.  

Ep 80: Knowing When It’s Time to Exit In this final episode of The Succession Episodes, Kim takes on one of the most personal questions in business ownership: How do you know when it’s actually time to sell? From aging and burnout to health changes and shifting priorities, this episode explores the emotional side of exiting a business—and why situational awareness matters long before circumstances make the decision for you. Kim also gives a brief look ahead at her upcoming series with Jim Kunkle, where they’ll explore six broader gaps shaping the future of the powder coating industry and ask a bigger question: Who inherits the industry next?

Ep 79: Do Due Diligence Before Selling Your Powder Coating Shop Knowing what buyers look at is one thing. Then comes the part most business owners have never experienced: due diligence. In Episode 79, we get into what happens once a seller starts digging into the buyer, what strengths can the seller push back on and what the finishing industry needs to understand about actually getting a deal across the finish line.

Ep 78: What Buyers Look At..And What They Ignore You think they're buying your equipment and years in business, aka sweat equity. They're not. Here's what actually moves the number. Today we dig deep into the real metrics and reasoning buyers use and it not what you may think. Watch on YOUTUBE https://youtu.be/rJ1lZe0-Qus

You’re selling your life’s work. They’re buying a spreadsheet. That may be one of the hardest parts of selling a business to accept. In Episode 77 of The Powder Coater Podcast, we continue The Succession Episodes by talking about who is actually on the other side of the table—and why that changes everything. A strategic buyer may want your customers and capacity. Private equity and searchers want cash flow and systems. An employee may want the business they already know how to run. And family succession can become a problem fast if the company was never built to transfer. We also get into the first moves owners should make years before they plan to sell: clean financials, believable add-backs, confidentiality, knowing your real earnings, and building the right deal team. Because the people in your corner—and the person across the table—can both change the number.

THE SUCCESSION EPISODES — EPISODE 76 Someone may buy your shop someday. But who buys it can completely change what they think it's worth, what they care about during due diligence, how the deal gets structured, and what you should be doing now to prepare. In Episode 76, Kim and Sandee look at powder coating businesses through the eyes of the buyer. Because a competitor, an individual entrepreneur, a search fund, private equity group, employee, or family member aren't buying the same thing—even when they're looking at the exact same shop. Add your job shop to the Powder Coating Near Me directory https://www.powdercoatingnearme.com/add-listing/ https://www.powdercoatingnearme.com/tips-for-managing-your-listing/

The Succession Episodes: The Exit Is Just The Beginning- Part 1 In this multi-part series of The Powder Coater Podcast, Kim sits down with another former shop owner to talk candidly about what happens when the business you built becomes something you may eventually need to sell. Both women have now gone through the process of exiting their powder coating businesses, giving them a rare perspective on succession, valuation, buyer expectations, due diligence, owner dependency, and the emotional side of handing over the keys. Today they focus on an overview of their personal stories vs the realities owners often do not confront until a buyer starts looking closely. Later how to turn those lessons into practical action, with steps shop owners can take now to build stronger systems, cleaner financials, better leadership, and a business that can operate without them. Whether you plan to sell in three years, ten years, or never, the bigger question is the same: are you building a business that owns your time, or an asset that can stand on its own?