Surfex: Addressing sustainability, supply chains and alternative additives
Surfex, which took place 9-10 June at the Coventry Building Society Arena, is the UK’s only exhibition dedicated to surface, paint and coatings technology. It provides a platform for industry to showcase everything from innovative pigments and functional additives to cutting edge testing, mixing equipment, regulatory expertise and waste disposal solutions.
For the past 30 years we’ve had a perennial presence at the show because for us it provides an unrivalled opportunity to connect with formulators and manufacturers. We also use the event to demonstrate our in-house technical expertise and showcase our UK manufactured speciality chemicals.
We spoke to Alex Taylor, our International Business Development Manager, who attended the event to share his views on the two-day show and conference.
What did the show highlight in terms of themes and the outlook of the industry?
A key observation was the strong presence of younger technicians visiting the show. With this I see the prospect of a new generation of chemists bringing fresh ideas, with open minds for testing novel speciality chemicals and spearheading the adoption of more automation in the lab. Which is something we’re seeing within our own workforce.
It also opens up discussions around knowledge transfer with critical technical skills being passed to a new generation. And I feel this activity is really driving a healthy and vibrant coatings market.
And in terms of themes, a number of reoccurring discussions came up around the costs of raw materials, which are being exacerbated by several macroeconomic drivers. These pressures are therefore driving more interest in products, like ours, which reduce batch errors and limit wasted raw materials.
A further consequence of global events is the volatility of supply which is causing issues in consistency and leading to frustrations. Owing to our agility and ability to maintain high stocks, this isn’t something that impacts us directly or our customers. And in fact, just this year we moved our UK headquarters to a larger site in order to fulfil high-volume orders and increase our warehousing capabilities. All of this continues to be bolstered by our global operations through our sites in Europe and the U.S..
What look to be some of the emerging trends?
I think a main focus is sustainability. As regulatory bodies continue to push for restrictions on so called ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) the industry must look to further move away from additives containing PFAS. This is already something that we’re addressing thorough our eco-conscious manufacturing practices and distribution of AFCONA Additives.
It’s also impacting our customers – who too are looking to develop innovative alternatives to be PFAS-free and ensure that their products or more sustainable.
What was your highlight from this year’s show?
As mentioned, the event provides a great opportunity for us to connect with industry professionals and our partners. And it’s always good to have a sit down with new and existing customers to go over their requirements and technical challenges and the event enables that in an engaging and relaxed way.
If any of the points raised have sparked an interest in our ability to provide supply chain stability, innovative and high-performance products get in touch with our team.
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