Post written by Jason Heidbreder, President of LPF High Performance Coatings

At LPF High Performance Coatings we wear the pants of a “Job Shop” very well. However, every once in a while we come across an opportunity to do a project that makes us adjust those pants and challenge us to do something we’ve never done before.

As a powder coating job shop we run into different metals, coatings, quality expectations, packaging requirements, paperwork needs/certifications, and more. Over time we’ve learned that being flexible with our processes allows us to react to the changing needs/demands of our existing, and new, customers.

As one example, this February we begin work on a 4-to-6 week project, a time-frame that is uncommon in the job shop world. In order to absorb this undertaking we’ve investigated new racking needs by actually purchasing some of the stock material our customer will be using and seeing what will allow us the best throughput.

We’ve also organized with another local company to subcontract some of the prep work in case that becomes necessary due to time constraints. Finally, we are preparing a night shift to make sure we don’t increase our lead times for the rest of our valued customers during this time.

There’s no question that some projects are more challenging than others. In order to be able to land projects that may be out of the typical powder coating job shop’s reach, we have to be willing to stretch outside of our comfort zone and rise to the challenge.

Anytime a different project comes our way, the “pants” might not fit exactly how we would like, but with a little adjusting we always figure out how to wear them well. And when we pull off something new, the learning experience makes it that much easier for us to adapt and help meet the expanding needs of our customers in the future.

We are pleased to announce the sale of our Dynamic Finishes division to an investment group. We wish the employees of this division well.

The sale was a great financial move and a strategic climax to a great year!

I would like to start off 2012 by thanking our customers for giving us the chance to be a part of their success…..and thanking our employees for making our company look so good.

-Jim Stuelke

Post written by Dana Brown, Vice President of Sales at LPF High Performance Coatings

On Wednesday, December 21^st 2011 we had the opportunity to say goodbye to a beloved co-worker and friend, Rodney Johnson.

Rodney will forever be considered part of the LPF family. He was with us for many, many years until his illness prevented him from doing so. During his time with us, we experienced his light-hearted sense of humor, quick wit and fun-loving personality.

He was the type of guy that just wouldn’t let you have a bad day. We all looked forward to the time of year when he would make home-canned salsa and take great pride in sharing it with everyone. When we would have picnics or functions that required food, Rodney had “assignments” as he was truly a talented cook.

The services were absolutely how one would have expected them to be. They focused on celebrating Rodney’s life and how he lived it. At one point during the services there was an opportunity for people to speak of their memories of Rodney…..and speak they did!

One person after another, not crying or upset, but upbeat… almost cheerful…shared their experiences of this man’s unique gifts. Some even almost chuckled under their breath as if sharing some inside joke that they shared with Rodney.

The services ended with full military honors for this ex-Navy Seabee, the bugle playing Taps, a 21-gun salute and the presentation of the flag… It was absolutely beautiful!

Personally, I feel blessed that our lives crossed paths.

Goodbye my friend…Until we meet again…

Joe Calhoon

Post written by Jason Heidbreder, President of LPF High Performance Coatings

We are always trying to find ways to grow on a personal level in addition to the company as a whole. To that end, we recently began the process of evaluating our strengths with Joe Calhoon.  Joe is a well-respected leader in his industry and is known for his fresh approach to improving organizational performance.

We are in the process of completing the Kolbe and Strength finder evaluations. These will help our management team understand what makes each of us tick.  This is not a process of finding weaknesses within a group; instead, it finds the strengths and ideal situations in which each of us feels we are in our “sweet spot” or in our “zone”.

For instance, removing a variable may help me with my approach to a project or situation, whereas adding a bit of something else may be what makes Dana tick.  Another person might be more comfortable with certain tools while a different person excels with others.

It’s all about understanding who we work with and how we can get the most out of ourselves without introducing unnecessary stress or hardships simply because we lacked understanding. We’ll find out what we have in common and work together develop our strengths as a group.

In addition, all of our employees (30+) will take an Organizational Health Assessment were they can anonymously answer questions about LPF High Performance Coatings.

We’re looking for the raw answers and feedback that only an anonymous assessment can provide.  How are we really doing?  Do our employees feel engaged?  Are they happy/fulfilled with their jobs?  Do they think we know what the heck we’re doing?  The accumulation of these responses will tell us where to focus so we can grow and mature the entire organization.

We’re just beginning this process and I will update this blog along the way and let you know what we discover. If you or your organization want to learn more about Joe Calhoon, you can visit his web site HERE.

Post written by Dana Brown, Vice President of Sales at LPF Coatings

LPF High Performance Coatings kicked off its Holiday Season with turkeys for all of our employees.  This has been a positive annual tradition at LPF for as long as I can remember. With the economic climate being what it is today, with so many people still looking for employment, with employers looking to cut costs, and with countless others not happy with their jobs, it was meaningful to receive this 15+ pound bundle, chucked full of appreciation for what we all do as part of the LPF team.

You often don’t have to look very far to find things to be appreciative of. Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that bring the most satisfaction. I personally work very hard to take a step back, look at things from different perspectives, and make the most of every situation.

To give a simple example…When I prepared the delicious turkey for my family and friends, I realized that not only do I work for what I personally believe is the best company, one that appreciates me and all of my contributions, but it’s a considerate company as well.

You see, our turkeys came equipped with a temperature sensor, the red button that “pops” out when your turkey is at the peak of perfection. It was like, “TA DA”, the easy button of holiday turkey preparation!  Now that is something we all can appreciate!

On January 1st, 2011 LPF High Performance Coatings, Kansas City, Missouri, acquired the powder coating operations of Rogers Manufacturing, Inc., (RMI) of Olathe, Kansas. “RMI was a great fit with LPF as we complement each other’s strengths,” said Jim Stuelke, CEO of LPF. “RMI was particularly attractive with its Johnson County location and its ability to run both production (volume) line work and large parts (up to 40 feet) in its three batch lines. With 45,000 square feet under roof, we have a lot of room to grow as well,” Stuelke added.

This was LPF’s third acquisition since 2009. The firm’s management has used the lull in the economy to diversify into Hydrographic Printing (such as the process of applying camouflage on firearms) through its acquisition of Dynamic Finishes, and then its entre into nano-ceramic coating technologies with its acquisition of Ultra Coatings, also of Olathe.

LPF will continue operations on both sides of the state line as it provides great flexibility to accommodate its JIT-oriented customers. “ Every day between
the two shifts at our Missouri facility, and the shift on the Kansas side, it gives us the capacity and flexibility to accommodate our client’s just-in-time needs,” noted Dana Brown; who was recently promoted to VP of Sales for the combined powder coating operations.

LPF has also expanded into bar-coding and along with that; inventory management for its clients. “Essentially, we are beginning to offer fulfillment services where our clients can ship us raw parts to be finished (painted). We then enter the parts into our system and track with our internal barcoding system so the customer can track their inventory stock with our on-line 24/7 ‘LPF Web-view’ until we have shipped the parts to their clients,” said Jason Heidbreder, who was recently promoted to President of all operations. “This service requires a great deal of working trust from our fabrication and machine shop clients as we are essentially serving as their quality department and their shipping department,” he added. LPF currently has several clients using different levels of this service.

At the Olathe facility, Steve Jordan is now the Customer Service Manager, and Mike Rogers is the Plant Manager. “As the economy continues to grow, we are positioning ourselves so that we can be patient, yet also be ready to accommodate growth opportunities with speed as they become available,” noted Rogers.

In addition to powder coatings, the combined companies offer Teflon™ coatings, and other specialty coatings. Steve Rogers, the former owner of RMI powder  coating operations, still owns RMI Golf Carts; one of the largest rental golf cart fleets in the U.S. “LPF and RMI have always referred accounts to each other when it was work we couldn’t do, and vice versa. That existing relationship and professional trust made the process of selling my operations to a competitor; a friendly and cerebral process,” stated Steve Rogers.