SUR/FIN 2012: Elvis is Still in the Building

He hasn't left.  He's just found a new identity.

"Frank as Elvis was one of the best things we ever at SUR/FIN," Dan Dunigan said. "He really connects with our customers and prospects and makes the whole thing a lot of fun."

Dan is in charge of technical sales and marketing at A Brite Company, a 30-year-old supplier and partner to the surface finishing industry. Frank is Frank Dunigan, the CEO of A Brite.

This year's Surface Finishing Expo (SUR/FIN) was yet another success for A Brite.  And it was also a way to update the industry on what is happening with the company and the coming out party for a new partner.

"Every year everybody tries to get us to reveal our theme before the show," Dan  said.   "But every year, we refuse to tell what we will be doing in the booth."

"This year we had extra reasons to not only be at the show, but to be there in a big way," Dan continued. "With A Brite's recent merger with Enthone, it was important for us to tell our clients and partners that A Brite is still alive and kicking."

Earlier this year, Enthone acquired elements of A Brite. A Brite also rolled out it's relationship with The Finishing Experts.

"The Finishing Experts is a comprehensive online customer service portal for the surface-finishing industry," Dan said. "Our customers are able to draw upon exceptional expertise through the use of on-line and real-time interactive video consultations with some of the leading experts in the finishing industry."

With traffic up at the A Brite booth and a higher than anticipated number of visitors at The Finishing Expert's booth, the show was a great success for both groups.

"We definitely will be back to SUR/FIN for years to come," Dan said.

You can reach Dan and the rest of the A Brite family by calling 1-888-822-7483 or visiting their website.

An Introduction to Electroplating

Electroplating is the process of coating a metal object with another metal, using electrical current passed through a chemical solution.

This process produces a thin, metallic coating on the surface of the metal object. The main purposes of electroplating are to improve the appearance of the material and provide protection against corrosion.

Since metal is being taken from the solution it must be replenished. This is done by hanging pieces of the metal to be replenished in the solution. The chunks of metal are called anodes and the positive electrical lead is attached to these chunks of metal. They dissolve in the solution as metal is taken away by plating. At this point we have metal being removed from the anode and deposited on the cathode. Cathodes are the parts being plated.

The anode and cathode in the electroplating cell are both connected to an external supply of direct current — a battery or, more commonly, a rectifier. The anode is connected to the positive terminal of the supply, and the cathode (article to be plated) is connected to the negative terminal. When the external power supply is switched on, the metal at the anode is oxidized from the zero valence state to form cations with a positive charge. These cations associate with the anions in the solution. The cations are reduced at the cathode to deposit in the metallic, zero valence state. For example, in an acid solution, copper is oxidized at the anode to Cu2+ by losing two electrons. The Cu2+ associates with the anion SO42- in the solution to form copper sulfate. At the cathode, the Cu2+ is reduced to metallic copper by gaining two electrons. The result is the effective transfer of copper from the anode source to a plate covering the cathode


History

It is widely held but unconfirmed that the Parthian battery may have been the first system used for electroplating.

Modern electrochemistry was invented by Italian chemist Luigi V. Brugnatelli in 1805. Brugnatelli used the voltaic pile, his colleague Alessandro Volta's invention of five years earlier, to facilitate the first electrodeposition. Brugnatelli's inventions were suppressed by the French Academy of Sciences and did not become used in general industry for the following thirty years.

By 1839, scientists in Britain and Russia had independently devised metal deposition processes similar to Brugnatelli's for the copper electroplating of printing press plates.

Boris Jacobi in Russia not only rediscovered galvanoplastics, but developed electrotyping and galvanoplastic sculpture. Galvanoplactics quickly came into fashion in Russia, with such people as inventor Peter Bagration, scientist Heinrich Lenz and science fiction author Vladimir Odoyevsky all contributing to further development of the technology. Among the most notorious cases of electroplating usage in mid-19th century Russia were gigantic galvanoplastic sculptures of St. Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg and gold-electroplated dome of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, the tallest Orthodox church in the world.

Soon after, John Wright of Birmingham, England discovered that potassium cyanide was a suitable electrolyte for gold and silver electroplating. Wright's associates, George Elkington and Henry Elkington were awarded the first patents for electroplating in 1840. These two then founded the electroplating industry in Birmingham from where it spread around the world.

The Norddeutsche Affinerie in Hamburg was the first modern electroplating plant starting its production in 1876.

As the science of electrochemistry grew, its relationship to the electroplating process became understood and other types of non-decorative metal electroplating processes were developed. Commercial electroplating of nickel, brass, tin, and zinc were developed by the 1850s. Electroplating baths and equipment based on the patents of the Elkingtons were scaled up to accommodate the plating of numerous large scale objects and for specific manufacturing and engineering applications.

The plating industry received a big boost from the advent of the development of electric generators in the late 19th century. With the higher currents, available metal machine components, hardware, and automotive parts requiring corrosion protection and enhanced wear properties, along with better appearance, could be processed in bulk.

The two World Wars and the growing aviation industry gave impetus to further developments and refinements including such processes as hard chromium plating, bronze alloy plating, sulfamate nickel plating, along with numerous other plating processes. Plating equipment evolved from manually operated tar-lined wooden tanks to automated equipment, capable of processing thousands of kilograms per hour of parts.

One of the American physicist Richard Feynman's first projects was to develop technology for electroplating metal onto plastic. Feynman developed the original idea of his friend into a successful invention, allowing his employer (and friend) to keep commercial promises he had made but could not have fulfilled otherwise.

Where do you find experts to consult?

It is not always easy to find collaborators or experts in your field.  We all need advice or at least a sounding board from time to time.

So, where do you look for advice and help in the surface finishing industry? 

We're throwing the question out there in hopes of hearing what you all use in this area.  It isn't easy finding sources and, while we can suggest some, we think you all have sources we haven't thought of.  Our short list includes:

• NASF membership and their website.
• Finishing.com.
• Surfacefinishing.com.
• Surfacecoating.info.

This list is meant as a starting place to stimulate the discussion.  We have our own ideas, but we want to hear yours.

Drop us a line in the comments section below or on our website at www.abrite.com.

The Finishing Expert

The Best in Equipment and Supplies

A number of our customers don't realize that A Brite Company is not only their source for chemistry, we also can (and do) provide equipment and parts to keep their lines running.

"When it comes to parts, equipment and supplies, we have a full range," Dan Dunigan said.  Dan is Director of Technical Sales and Service for A Brite. "And we have one of the best trouble shooters in the industry in James Greer."

James Greer is A Brite's Purchasing and Equipment Manager.  You can read his bio here.

"When it comes to keeping our customers up and running," Dan continued," we will do just about anything from testing chemistry to changing out filters to recommending a different pump.  Whatever it takes, our team can take it on. to solve our customers' problems."

A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment.  A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

You can reach Dan, James and the rest of the A Brite family at 214-291-0400 or at their website.

The People Who Work Here: Frank Dunigan, CEO

Ideas for companies come from lots of places. Most are born of necessity. Such is the history of A Brite Company. And such is the career of Frank Dunigan.

Back in 1982, Frank found himself the newly former regional sales manager for a national chemical supply company. But he had an idea that he could continue to serve the customers he had worked with for years in a better way than he had with his former employer.

Frank is CEO and founder of A Brite Company, a leading supplier of chemicals and equipment for the metal plating industry. A Brite not only is a supplier of off-the-shelf chemicals, they also provide equipment and parts to their customers to keep their processes and lines running.

"I knew I could build and run a better company," Frank said recently. "And I knew I already knew most of the talent I needed to do it."

Most of Frank's employees (he prefers to call them his coworkers) have been with him for almost the entire lifespan of the company. Although there are some newbies who bring the average up to about 15 years, most came on board in the first few years.

"I'm lucky to work with some real gems," Frank said. From Tom Hyman and Chalo Alon in the laboratory and testing area to Les Winkler, his COO, to Sabas Gonzalez in shipping and receiving, he knows them all and has stories to go with each person.

"The strength of A Brite is in our people," Frank said. "Without them, there is no company."

You can reach Frank and the rest of the A Brite family at 214-291-0400.

Pre-Treatment Cleaners

The pre-treatment  step of any finishing process is both critical and defining of the quality of the work done by the finisher. Having the right pre-treatment cleaners in your process will ensure quality in the completed product.

There are several areas to consider as you look to improve or enhance this step in your process:

• Soak cleaner systems with higher performance characteristics.
• Solvent degreasing alternatives.
• Electrocleaners with higher performance characteristics.
• Pre-treatment processes using aluminum.
• Cleaners for the removal of buffing compound.

Each of these areas has its own unique characteristics.

A new generation of soak cleaners are safer, more effective and environmentally friendly.  Cleaning has been elevated to a science rather than an afterthought.

Regulations have changed how degreasing can be accomplished, making the use of solvents both undesirable and expensive.  New biodegradable, environmentally friendly aqueous cleaners can be used as a spray, in immersion or as an ultrasonic treatment.

Electrocleaners have also changed significantly.  Again, regulation has driven these products toward more environmentally friendly and safer content and use.

Pre-treatment has also been enhanced and improved with the introduction of aluminum-based cleaning and deoxidizing components. They are now safer and faster working.

Buffing compounds have, again, been impacted by regulation.  A new generation of products now simplify and are cleaner than previous processes.

For more information on pre-treatment cleaners and other finishing industry questions, please contact A Brite Company at 1-888-822-7483.

The Finishing Touch

The People Who Work Here: Fred Farkas, Technical Sales

Seeing and meeting customers face to face still works. Ask Fred Farkas.

“I know almost all of my customers from having met them personally,” Fred told us recently. A 33-year veteran of the surface finishing and process chemistry industry, Fred is A Brite Company’s Independent Representative in the Southeast U.S.

“I’ve worked with clients all over the East Coast of this country and in South America,” Fred said. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Fred spent 30 years in the finishing industry based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

“As a former general manager and with his knowledge of chemistry, business and people, Fred is a tremendous addition to our family,” Dan Dunigan said. Dan is in charge of Technical Sales and service for A Brite. “Fred’s relationships with clients have already paid us dividends in the largest trade show of the year in Chicago.

A Brite exhibits and attends the NASF SUR/FIN trade show and conference each June. It is the center of the surface finishing world for a week each year.

And Fred and Frank have spent many years there. Frank is Frank Dunigan, CEO and founder of A Brite.

“It is because of Frank I came over to A Brite,” Fred said.

A graduate of Dyke College in Cleveland with a BS in Business, Fred has worked in sales, service, as a distributor and as a general manager in the process chemistry business.

Fred and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website at www.abrite.com.

The People Who Work Here: Robert Smalling, Chemist

A laboratory can be a lot like a concert hall and work there is as if it were a musical composition. Arrangements can be complicated.

Robert Smalling is as serious about his work at A Brite Company as he is about his creative endeavors outside of his work.

“Everything has to follow a prescribed process, a score,” Robert told us recently. “While there is room for variation, it really has to be clear where things originated and where they are going.”

Just like a musical composition or a short story.

Robert is a chemist in the R&D lab at A Brite. He is responsible for quality control and also works with the company’s chief chemist, Dr. Chalo Aoun. A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

“I met Chalo when I was earning my BS in chemistry from the University of Texas at Dallas, "Robert said. “After working together in the lab, she called me one day and set up an interview at A Brite. I interviewed and was hired just after I graduated.” Robert has been with A Brite since 2008.

“Chalo thought I would be a good fit for the company,” Robert said.

Interested in science, chemistry and physics since he was a child, Robert also has a creative side.

“I write music, poetry and short stories,” Robert said. “The creative process is similar to the scientific process in that it has steps and formulas but you can still have the freedom to make judgments. To me, it is the best of all worlds.”

Robert and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website at www.abrite.com.

The People Who Work Here: Renee Moore, Accounts Payable/Receivable

When she first came to A Brite, Renee Moore knew she had found a second home.

“I love numbers and I love being organized,” Renee said. “Being around chemists and scientists is a real treat for me.”

Renee is responsible for Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable at A Brite. She is the voice you hear on the other end of the line when you are looking to be paid or need to pay A Brite. Renee also backs up customer service and purchasing.

A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

“We depend on Renee,” CEO Frank Dunigan said. “She plays an important role for us between our staff and our customers. She is a great manager of numbers.”

A native of Montana, Renee has spent most of her life in North Texas. Before coming to A Brite 5 years ago, she worked for Haggar Clothing for 17 years as a staff accountant. She lives in Garland with her family.

Renee and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website .

The People Who Work Here: John Geevarghese, Quality Assurance

No one takes sampling more seriously than John Geevarghese.

John is in the Quality Assurance department at A Brite Company and his work ensures that the company’s customers stay in business.

Processing over 20 samples of customer solutions each day and reporting back the results of those tests within 24 hours consumes John’s days. His analyses ensure that a customer’s lines and processes stay within specification and that their product quality stays at a high level.

A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

“John’s work is critical to our success,” Dan Dunigan said. Dan is Vice President of A Brite and should know: he talks to the customers on a daily basis that John’s work impacts.

“Without the work of John and our lab team back at A Brite, few of our customers and our sales team would be able to maintain the quality of work they do,” Dan said.

With over 12 years of service to A Brite, John came to the company from Stanley Black and Decker where he spent 11 years in their labs. John specializes in nickel and chromium chemistry.

“A Brite is a great working environment for me,” John said. “I get to practice my profession and they treat me and my family very well.”

John and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website at www.abrite.com.

The People Who Work Here: Harry Hassell, National Sales Manager

You’ve never met anybody that loves people and his job as much as Harry Hassell does.

“I really enjoy calling on our customers,” Harry told us between customer meetings. “Whether it is hearing about the latest from a long-time customer or a cold call, I can’t wait to either be on the phone or sitting down with someone,” he said.

This joyful approach to life and work has certainly worked for Harry and for A Brite Company. As National Sales Manager, Harry calls on many clients himself as well as guiding the company sales team. Harry manages the sales of everything from equipment to chemistry to consulting services. And he does it by listening to his people and his customers.

A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

A veteran of the steel and electronics manufacturing industries, Harry has been with A Brite for nearly 20 years. With each stop he’s learned something new to apply to the next step in his career.

“From the time I was in the US Navy through my time in the steel mills, I’ve learned that the strength of a company is in its people,” Harry said. “If you listen carefully and seek to understand, you will go a long way toward forging a relationship that will last,” he said.

“That is both inside and outside of a company,” he continued.

Harry and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website at www.abrite.com.

The People Who Work Here: Les Winkler, Chief Operating Officer

To hear Les Winkler’s story is to hear a history of the surface finishing industry. And that story takes you from Michigan to Texas.

“This industry is built on relationships,” Les said of the surface finishing industry. “At some point all of the players have either worked for or with each other.”

“In the end, though, they are all focused on the customer.”

Les should know. A 45-year veteran of the industry, Les has been with A Brite Company since 1994 and is currently its Chief Operating Officer. A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

“Before coming to A Brite, I worked for the competition for years,” Les said. “I’ve known Frank for most of my career and when he and I would talk, Frank would always ask ‘When are you coming to work with us?’”

“For years I kept answering ‘Why should I?’ while continuing to watch A Brite grow until one day when I actually said to Frank, ‘Why not?’”. That was the day I went to work for A Brite,” Les said.

Frank is Frank Dunigan, the CEO of A Brite.

With a BS in Chemistry from Wayne State University, Les has learned the business by doing a variety of things during his career. And he’s worked for companies that are among the leaders in the specialty chemicals industry, including Udylite and McGean and Rohco.

“I’ve been in sales, service, training, marketing, manufacturing operations and compliance,” Les said. “But it was always customer focused.”

Les is most proud of A Brite’s recent ISO 9001 certification.

“That’s just the icing on the cake.”

Les and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website.

The People Who Work Here: Dr Chalo Aoun Research Director

When the finish on your client’s products can mean the difference between booming sales and no sales, it becomes critical to make sure all runs well for them in their manufacturing processes.

“The proprietary additives our clients buy from us’ represent one to two percent of their total manufacturing cost, but can mean all the difference between a sale and no sale,” Dr. Chalo Aoun said. “If the color or brightness of a finish, for example, is poor , the end customer may choose another product based on appearance.”

“Our clients rely on us,” Dr Aoun said.

Dr. Aoun is Research Director for A Brite Company. A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

Dr. Aoun is responsible for research and development of A Brite’s line of products. A Brite is customer driven and does invest in research even in old technologies. . She does everything from improving existing products to creating new proprietary additives in order to solve specific problems or to achieve a desired finishes for the end client.

A Brite makes things happen and happen better. In raw materials shortage, we find alternatives, if the client’s specifications change, we modify and adapt, if new finishes appear on the market we compete. We do not sleep on our laurels.

And breakthroughts they can be. In the time she has been at A Brite, Dr. Aoun has helped grow the nickel product line from a single product to a list of 10, the zinc processes were created and many other surface finishing processes. Customer need and requirements have driven A Brite to create new products that improve the end product or increase efficiency.

Dr. Aoun has been with A Brite for 17 years. She earned her PhD in Chemistry from University of Texas at Dallas. She also has earned a BS in Chemistry and holds two Master’s degrees in science.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work for a company that sees the whole of the process,” Dr. Aoun said. “A Brite listens to the customer and works side-by-side with them to ensure their success. This environment has enabled me to understand the science behind a process, build a fund of formulas and back them with chemistry,.”

Dr. Aoun and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website.

The People Who Work Here: Jackie Frank, Chemical Purchasing Inventory Manager

When she was a girl growing up on a ranch in North Texas, Jackie Frank learned a lesson that she hasn’t forgotten to this day.

“When we were kids, my cousin was filling a tank on my grandparents’ ranch,” Jackie recounted recently. “However, she forgot to take the hose out after she was finished and the water in the tank was siphoned out by the unattended hose. The tank had chemicals in it that were toxic and the siphoned water polluted by grandparents’ well,” Jackie recalled.

“They had to dig a new well.”

That lesson of paying attention to detail has stayed with her. In the metal surface finishing business, a missed keystroke on order can destroy a customer’s system.

Jackie is responsible for the inventory and ordering a raw materials for A Brite Company. A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

“We maintain a just-in-time inventory,” Jackie said. “I order raw materials based upon orders so that we can contain costs in the warehouse,” she said. Jackie also maintains stock of products of other manufacturers A Brite distributes.

And that’s not all Jackie does. “I arrange all of the prepaid and inbound freight for the company,” Jackie said.

Jackie is a veteran of the chemical and surface finishing business, having come over to A Brite in the ACI Chemicals acquisition. She has worked on the A Brite premises since 2004.

“I started as a temp and worked my way through the company,” Jackie said. “I love what I do and can’t imagine working anywhere else.”

Jackie and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website at www.abrite.com.

The People Who Work Here: Craig Hassell, Customer Service Manager

Being a visual guy in a company full of chemists can have its advantages. Or so it is with Craig Hassell.

“I produced the first ad for the company that didn’t look like it came from our industry,” Craig said. “”While I understand the industry and have worked here for 15 years, I still have an ‘outsiders’ point of view.”

By ‘outsider’ Craig means he isn’t a chemist. He has a degree in Visual Communications. But he is a veteran of the industry because of his work at A Brite Company.

Craig is the Customer Service Manager at A Brite Company. A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

“When I was first hired on by the company,” Craig continued, “they were looking for help designing ads and a website. I am proud to say we were the first company in the metal finishing industry with a website,” he said.

Since that time, Craig has served several roles with the company until being named Customer Service Manager in 2008.

“My knowledge of the industry and the company comes from having worked in quality control and as ad manager before taking on this assignment,” Craig said. “Thanks, to Frank, I’ve had the opportunity to build my skills and help the company.”

Frank is Frank Dunigan, the CEO of A Brite.

Craig and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website at www.abrite.com.

Finding the Right Environmental Solutions

In order for a system to run efficiently and correctly, a number of different types of chemicals and equipment need to be available. Look for a supplier-partner that offers chemistry and equipment for treating the effluent from your system. If they offer quality products, a knowledgeable team of experts and innovative techniques, you should be able to fulfill your waste water treatment requirements as well as run a profitable operation.

The different types of chemicals and equipment in a variety of categories that you should look for include:

• Coagulants
• Defoamers
• Control equipment
• Flocculants
• Precipitants
• Pumps
• Source water technologies
• Scrubbers
• Tanks
• Waste minimization equipment

In subsequent posts we will discuss each area individually and talk about the pros and cons of each one.

The Finishing Touch

The People Who Work Here: James Greer, Purchasing/Equipment Manager

The phone rings. It is a customer with a problem with his metal finishing process equipment. But wait, you sell process chemistry.

Hmmmm.

If James Greer is on the answering end of that call, the answer always starts with “How may I help you?”

James is the Purchasing and Equipment Manager at A Brite Company. A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

“After more than 20 years in the oil fields of Texas and Oklahoma, I knew what a customer was asking for when they described their problem,” James told us recently. “I found I also understood when they asked for one part and the problem they were having was really needing another part.”

Being able to communicate with the customer and then meet their needs quickly is James’ stock in trade.

“Our customers are dealing with real time,” he said. “If their line goes down, it costs them money. We have to react quickly by diagnosing the problem and getting them the part.”

While A Brite sells chemistry, it also provides solutions to their clients to make sure their lines are up and running. That’s where James comes in.

“I also know when to not sell them something,” James added. “We want happy customers and honesty is a part of what we do. Sure I can sell many parts, but if that’s not their problem, then I won’t,” he said.

James and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website at www.abrite.com.

The People Who Work Here: Tom Hyman

From the posters on his office walls and his dry sense of humor, you would think Tom Hyman was a joker, a world-class kidder.

You’d only be partly right.

While Tom enjoys a good joke and his golf game, when it comes to the work he and his colleagues do at A Brite Company, they take it seriously.

“I’m the inside guy, the troubleshooter,” Tom said. In his job as Technical Services Manager, Tom oversees the portion of the lab that processes client samples.

A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

“In addition to providing our clients with the right chemistry and equipment, we also help them monitor their processes and report back to them,” Tom said. “We are their external quality control.”

Tom should know: he’s been with A Brite for all but one year of its existence. A graduate of Case Western University in Ohio with a BA in Chemistry, Tom came to Dallas with ROHCO in 1981. It was there he met Frank Dunigan. Frank founded A Brite in 1982. After much back and forth and cajoling, Tom joined Frank at A Brite in 1983.

“And the rest, they say, is history,” Tom said. Tom went on to describe why he’s been at A Brite for most of his career. Thre are two reasons, he said.

“First of all, we have Frank,” he said. “There are few people in business who understand, like Frank does, that family comes first. Frank has always cared for me and the rest of the A Brite team,” Tom said. “To him, we are his family.”

That family ethic has helped keep the A Brite team together. With an average tenure in the company of around 10 years (there are some youngsters on board who have less than five years’ service who bring that number lower), working at the company is a long-term assignment.

“Secondly, we are a small, flexible company with experienced, talented people,” Tom continued. “We can respond to the customer much more easily and quickly and with the answers they need. There is less bureaucracy.”

Tom and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website at www.abrite.com.

The People Who Work Here: Dan Dunigan

Computer. Check. Catalogue. Check. Customer list. Check. Cowboy hat. Check? T-shirt from an Irish Festival. Check?

Wait a minute…just whose list is this?

Dan Dunigan is about as serious as the next guy in the plating and surface finishing industry. But he also knows what it takes to have fun and get things done.

“In my time at A Brite, I’ve learned that life is a balance,” Dan said. “We know our customers well and because of that, they trust us,” he said.

Dan is responsible for technical sales and service for A Brite Company, the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

“Take as an example our annual trip to the National Association of Surface Finishing (NASF) SUR/FIN trade show,” Dan said. “It is serious business to go and interact with our peers and competitors. But we also have fun and enjoy ourselves while we work.”

The trade show and conference are an annual occurrence for A Brite. Each year the company chooses a theme for its exhibit and each year it draws more people.

“We have competitors and customers alike calling and asking us about our theme before the show,” Dan said. “But even after all these years of doing the show, no one has yet to copy our idea of a themed booth,” he continued.

A graduate of Louisiana Tech University, Dan has a degree in marketing.  But his responsibilities go far beyond just marketing the company.  He is responsible for maintaining critical relationships both within and outside the company.

The industry as well as the company is built on relationships, Dan told us. “The surface finishing industry is like a family, not unlike our company. We all know and care about one another,” Dan said.

Dan and the rest of the A Brite family can be reached at 214-291-0400 or through the website at www.abrite.com.

Succeeding at the NASF Trade Show

Every June, A Brite Company heads off to the National Association of Surface Finishing (NASF) conference and trade show.  And every year, we enjoy some level of success.

"We've been very fortunate," Dan Dunigan said. "We are always able to engage our customers and meet new people because of how we approach the show.  And we always come back energized."

Dan Dunigan is one of the principals in A Brite Company, the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry and equipment. A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.

 The NASF event, or SUR/FIN show as it is more popularly known, is the industry meeting for the surface finishing chemistry business.  The show moves to a different city each year.  This year's show was in Rosemount, IL, a suburb of Chicago.

"Because we are known in the industry, people seek us out at the show," Dan continued. "In fact, our theme each year draws enough attention that some clients call in advance of the show trying to get us to reveal it in advance."

This year's theme had an Old West flavor.  The exhibit itself looked like a saloon, and the staff was outfitted in Western shirts and jeans.  Everybody also wore a hat and had a badge, most marked "Deputy." CEO Frank Dunigan was the "Sheriff."  An added conversation starter was the badges themselves: each was coated with a surface treatment offered by the company. The product was on display, but in a most unusual and memorable way.

"We've been exhibiting at this show for most of the last 30 years," Dan said. "And each year we have a different theme. Surpisingly, none of our competitors has yet to copy us."

One of the fun features and draws of the show was the quick draw competition (the first day's winners are shown here).  A Brite's own Craig Hassell devised the game using a Nintendo Wii console and controller.

"Our visitors had more fun with the game," Craig told us. "As much fun as it was to build, it was more fun to watch our customers and prospects get into it," he said.

Overall, the A Brite team's efforts resulted in a record number of leads and some  solid conversations with existing customers. It is an annual event that is a must-do for A Brite and a must-attend for the industry.

For more information, please contact A Brite Company in Dallas, 214-291-0400.