FCA International traveled Washington, D.C. to participate in the MPI Commercial Coatings Summit. The event was hosted by the Master Painters Institute (MPI) and the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP [formerly NACE International and the SSPC]). Read on for a quick recap from the event.

Day 1

  • John Whelan – Executive Director – MPI: welcomed attendees and provided an overview of the inaugural Commercial Coatings Summit.
  • Steve O’Neill – Chief Marketing Officer – Benjamin Moore: discussed supply chain issues, including raw materials and shipping, product quality and the importance of standards in the coatings industry, and the importance of having contractors in the discussion.
  • Jim Williams, Jr. – Incoming General President – IUPAT: discussed the value of partnerships and certification to the industry. He discussed the importance of a trained workforce to raise the bar in the industry, and that the union must try new things and embrace change to survive.
  • Todd Hawkins – President & CEO – Tesla Nanocoatings: discussed industry innovation utilizing their carbon nanocoating formula and technology.
  • Brooke Divan, M.Sc. – Director of Field Relations – USACE: discussed the use of MPI standards in UFGS documents by Tri-Service organizations including Army, Navy, Air Force and NASA. Per Divan, the military spends $21 billion annually on corrosion.
  • Coatings Industry Panels – Moderator: John Whalen (MPI) | Panelists: Sam Scaturro (Alpine Painting and AMPP C3 Vice Chair), Anton Ruesing (FTI), Cindy O’Malley (AMPP) and Dan Zarate (consultant): the panelists covered several topics including MPI product testing for commercial paint systems, enhanced training for residential and commercial painters, the QP9 program and enhanced inspector training.

Day 2

  • Ken Simonson – Chief Economist – AGC: discussed the economic impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry. The construction industry is facing issues with material pricing and raw material shortages. Construction employment lags behind 2020 peak.
  • Rick Watson – Director of Product Information and Technical Services – Sherwin-Williams: discussed specifying paint using third-party certification. Watson discussed paint’s primary purpose to protect & beautify the substrate, and solve problems. He discussed using a third-party validation to select the proper primer and paint system, such as the MPI’s decision tree that takes you through the process to select the right paint system for your project.
  • Terrance Mayes – Technical Specialist, Coatings, Laboratory Program – Master Painters Institute: led a discussion on forming a standards committee to take part in reviewing, developing and shaping MPI standards for the industry. Mayes indicated the MPI is looking for volunteers to participate on the standards, which will be broken up into eight general categories such as Interior Latex or Exterior Latex. Each category will cover many product and application standards. The MPI is currently looking for volunteers (including eight committee chairs) to participate on these standards committees.

    The MPI will send additional information regarding these groups in the coming weeks. This is an opportunity for signatory contractors to take a leadership role in the review and development of standards for the commercial paint industry. FCA International will keep our members updated on the leadership and participation opportunities with these committees. The first official working meeting will be held in Phoenix, AZ on Dec. 14 during the Coatings+ conference and expo.

    UPDATE – the MPI sent out information on its standards community and how to join. Click here to access.