Jeff Tish of Anderson Development and current president of Detroit Society for Coatings Technology introducing a key-note speaker for the FOCUS 2016 conference held on May 5, 2016.

Technology in Motion, Paint it Forward was the theme for the 2016 FOCUS conference. The meaning behind this theme is that coatings keep changing. FOCUS, an acronym for Future Of Coatings Under Study, is a premier automotive coatings conference held by the Detroit Society for Coatings Technology (DCST). Our very own Jeffrey Tish, of Anderson Development Company, is the President of DCST.

The coating industry is constantly changing. We must keep working to keep up, to catch up and to lead. There are advances in component design, substrates, coating chemistry, and legal requirements that continue to push change. New coatings are constantly needed to meet the needs for new projects and objectives. FOCUS allows those within the coatings community to come together to get the benefit from experts in the industry and collaborate with one another.

So what makes FOCUS so valuable? This question is easily answered. We can all benefit from the vision of others within the industry. While at FOCUS, attendees can listen to key-note speakers and meet innovators in raw materials, equipment, components, vehicles and other disciplines as well as networking with those who may open doors to possibilities. Each year, FOCUS draws over 200 local industry professionals, chemists and suppliers!

Important topics discussed this year were the advances in chemistry, applications and testing technology, corrosion inhibition, primer advances, substrates, 3D curing, pigment dispersion and many more. Air products, Akzo, Axalta, BASF, Eastman, Ford, PPG, Toyota and Howard & Howard were just some of the presenters from 2016 FOCUS conference.