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.

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: 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: 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

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.