SPONSORED CONTENT

AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVIES HOOD, PRESIDENT, INDURON PROTECTIVE COATINGS

Part of the JPCL “Vision for the Future” sponsored interview series with coatings business leaders. This interview is edited for space and clarity.

Watch the full video interview here. 

JPCL: When you think about your future in the protective and marine coatings industry, what are some of your hopes and expectations for Induron?

Davies Hood: Induron is a 75-year-old, third-generation family business. It would be a great honor to me, personally, to have a fourth generation own and run this company. The other thing that would be really cool to continue is our nation’s—and, honestly, the world’s—focus on infrastructure. That’s mainly what Induron focuses on: creating coatings that extend the useful life of valuable infrastructure.

We are a small player in a pond full of very large com­panies. To compete, we have to focus on specific niches—currently, ductile iron sewer pipe, water, wastewater treatment facilities and storage, and power transmission and distribution. Taking care of that infrastructure is critical and will be critical for the rest of my professional career. I’m pretty enthusiastic about our opportunities moving forward. 

What changes have you implemented over time with regard to the way that Induron communicates, interacts with and serves the market?

As long as I’ve been in the business—25 years—those of us in the coatings, manufacturing and formulating business have always had to adjust because of tightening environmental regulations. When I got into the business in the late ’90s, my dad was complaining about the changes that had been occurring ever since he got in the coatings business in the late 1960s. My grandfather probably complained about the exact same thing. So we are very used to change and tightening regulation. That’s just a fact of life.

In the last couple of years, as a result of COVID and/or the supply chain issues, we’ve had unique challenges with inflation and the ability to get key raw materials. What we are trying to do at Induron is not only be honest with our customers—it’s one of our core values—but open about what opportunities we can take advantage of and where we have to say no.

Talk a little more about the way that regulations may create future challenges.

We’ve never seen a loosening of any environmental restriction in the coatings business. We do a lot of work in the water and wastewater business, and beginning in 2023, there are some significant changes to the NSF Standard 61 regulation that involves coatings that come in contact with potable water. Different volatiles are being measured in the extractable form, coming out of a cured film. It’s based on a Canadian standard NSF 600.

We are prepared to deal with NSF Standard 61/NSF 600 because of formulation decisions we made as long as a decade ago: to create NSF-approved products without raw materials that include hazardous air pollutants. But that’s just the latest change. I think there will be more in the coming years. That’s just the way regulation works.

What else would you like the JPCL audience to know?

We try to do everything per the rules and regulations related to environmental impact and develop products that are user friendly and longer lasting. If we make a product that lasts longer so you have to repaint less over the life of a structure, that is a very environmentally responsible thing to do. That’s our philosophy.

Our company has a history of innovative products, including a sort-of gold standard for lining ductile iron pipe. There’s a product we manufacture called Protecto 401. We use similar technology in other products throughout the water and wastewater business. So we’re exhibiting a willingness to change—but a willingness to change based on proven technology.

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Claims or positions expressed by sponsoring authors do not necessarily reflect the views of TPC, JPCL, PaintSquare or its editors.