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Business Smarts

Getting Clear on Conversion and Polyurethane Finishes

Manufacturers who use wood coatings have more and more options available to them when it comes to their finishing lines, and the best choice for their business isn’t always clear. Letting just one or two factors determine the direction you go can be hasty, a lesson that rings true when decision makers are considering whether to use a conversion varnish or a polyurethane. To help us take a close...
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2016 Trends Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry

“Over 90 percent of the consumer’s initial assessment of your product quality is related to its color and appearance, so having the right color and right finish is extremely important.” — Angela Simone, Director of Global Color Marketing, AcromaPro Get this year’s top colors. When consumers ask for it, you’ll be ready. 2016 WOOD TRENDS Trends with OEM customers include minimalist, Europ...
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The Consultancy: October-December, 2015

The Consultancy: October-December, 2015 As we move toward the end of the fourth quarter, 2015 continues to be a strong year of growth for Accessa Coatings Solutions and HIT Solutions. We have outstanding new people on our team, both in sales and operational roles, and the diversification and “bread and butter” account growth we have experienced over the last 6-18 months is a positive trend. ...
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If You Don’t Retain Your Customers, Someone Else Will

We are very much in a growth-oriented mode at Accessa, focused, like you are, on building a bigger, stronger business. We also fully recognize that replacing lost customers is like running in place. You never get ahead. Maintaining customers remains first on our list of priorities, while securing new business remains at No. 2. Fortunately, we have a strong customer retention record, due in no s...
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How to Buy Your Next Coating

Whether you are shopping for a new coating, evaluating a coating you have in use or on the brink of ditching your current coating, three factors should be considered: Service and Support (50%) Product Quality (35%) Product Cost (15%) How people measure the importance of each factor is typically how they fail in the decision-making process. Based on my decades of experience in this indus...
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Who Wants to Tighten Up Cash Flow?

Charles “Red” Scott is credited with saying, no doubt in his signature Texas drawl, “Cash ain’t cash until it’s cash.” The famous corporate leader, who died in 2013, was talking about cash flow. Staying competitive and excelling in your industry require a strong cash flow system. Without one, you are at risk of unnecessarily spending money on things that aren’t critical or urgent. With a sy...
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Sales Are Up! 4 Ways to Ensure Your Finishing Line Keeps Up

With the upsurge in the economy, our customers have recently experienced steady sales growth. Generally, a rise in sales equates to positive gains. However, attaining higher production targets on the finishing line can lead to changes and disruptions that hurt the bottom line. Here are 4 ways you can routinely evaluate your finishing line design plan to help maintain your business objectives. 1. ...
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2015 Trends: Color & Cabinetry

Get this year’s top design styles, with a focus on wood. When consumers start asking for it, you will be ready. (Download a PDF of the trends here.) 2015 COLOR OF THE YEAR: CORAL Coral Reef, a vivacious hue, is AcromaPro’s Color of the Year 2015. Upbeat and optimistic, Coral Reef celebrates a time for renewal and is the perfect mélange of pink, orange and red that can be used to liven up any sp...
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2014 Recap: 4 Topics to Promote 2015 Finishing Excellence

The last six months of Accessa’s blog focused on getting your finishing business ready for 2015. Here are eight of the best stories, organized by topic, and summarized for your browsing pleasure. Four of the most important high-level topics any finisher needs. It’s finishing wisdom from the Accessa Coating Solutions blog. Get caught up— begin 2015 with a great finish. Topic 1—STRATEGIC ALLIANCES ...
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Colorful Outlook Improves for Finishers

The future looks bright for the coatings industry. There appears to be plenty of opportunity for finishers ready to make the leap. As I write this post, a very positive November jobs report was released. Another indication we’re getting the economy back on track. More than a half million jobs were added in the past two months alone. This is more than the estimated 200,000 a month needed to keep...
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