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.
Showing posts with label chemicals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chemicals. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The People Who Work Here: Robert Smalling, Chemist
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.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The People Who Work Here: Dr Chalo Aoun Research Director
“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.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The People Who Work Here: James Greer, Purchasing/Equipment Manager
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.
Monday, July 11, 2011
The People Who Work Here: Dan Dunigan
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.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Metal Finishing Process Equipment
Let's talk about the products and their categories in this segment. This is the first post in a series to familiarize you with these types of equipment and what is commercially avaiable.
The high-level list reads like this:
- Anodes
- Anodizing
- Automatics
- Barrels
- Blowers
- Brightener feeders
- Buffs
- Chillers
- Coils
- Controls
- Compounds
- Danglers
- Filterpress
- Filters
- Grating
- Heaters
- Laboratory equipment
- Liners
- Magnets
- Mixers
- Polyballs
- Plastics
- pH meters
- Pumps
- Rectifiers
- Scrubbers
- Sand filters
- Saddles
- Spraynozzle
- Tanks
- Waste treatment
"We at A Brite have learned over the years that providing the equipment and service is just as important for our customers as is the chemistry," Dan continued. "Maybe more so, in some instances.
For more information, please contact A Brite Company in Dallas, 214-291-0400.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Providing Answers to Your Finishing Questions: A Brite Company
We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Watch this space for regular articles that will help you understand our industry, improve the quality of your products and keep you informed about industry trends.
For more information, please contact Dan Dunigan at A Brite Company at 214-291-0400, or stop by our website, www.abrite.com.
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