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 .