This series is intended to highlight the long-standing careers of devoted Teflon® coaters and their accomplishments in the industrial coating field. These pioneers in the Teflon® coating industry are early adopters of the coating and have helped to shape the way Teflon® has grown and evolved as a reputable industrial fluoropolymer. With the pioneers’ vision and ingenuity, Teflon® coating continues to be regarded as the elite fluoropolymer of choice.
Our interview series continues with a spotlight on Don Garcia of Boyd Coatings Research Co. Boyd Coatings Research Co. applies a wide varietyof high-performance coatings, specializing in the medical, industrial and aerospace markets. Besides applying virtually every coating from every manufacturer on the market, Boyd manufactures a line of custom-developed fluoropolymer coatings for specialty applications. Boyd is a Licensed Industrial Applicator of Teflon® fluoropolymers including PTFE, ETFE, FEP, and PFA.
Q: When was your company founded?
A: December 10, 1965
Q: Who founded the company and why?
A: Pedro Diaz and Edward Boyd. They considered starting the company while working for a Teflon® coating company and decided they could do a better job servicing the customers. Once they determined they could provide a better service to customers, they started their own company, incorporating in 1965.
Q: What was the first significant piece of equipment you purchased?
A: In 1965, a 9 foot long, 5 foot tall, 5 foot wide oven.
Q: How would you describe the changes in the company now from when it was first started?
A: Wow! It was started on a premise that service and value are what we need to bring to our customers; to give them what they want when they want, in a way that they would want to buy it again. That mind-set hasn’t changed in nearly 50 years. What has changed is the way we provide those services, the systems we employ from physical system to technical support, and all the employee training to give customers the best possible service. So those things have changed but the CORE philosophy of the company hasn’t changed except for the way we do it and how much we do!
Q: What would you consider significant milestones in your company?
A: One milestone would be our focus on engineering and technical expertise. Another would be our quality systems ISO 9001, 2008. The increase in our number of employees as well as our growth and revenue is a significant milestone. On December 10th 2015 we plan on celebrating our biggest milestone, our 50thanniversary!
“It’s the people and the relationships we’ve developed over the 50 years that really have made us successful.”
Q: How has the coating industry itself changed over time?
A: In addition to having to deal with regulatory changes and additional regulatory burdens placed upon us, changes to the science of how we apply coatings and ways to make the process more value-driven have changed as well. There have been significant changes in “how we do what we do” but the basic polymers and their applications haven’t changed. Customer demands for higher quality and lower costs have evoked much of the changes we have seen.
Q: When did you get your LIA license from DuPont?
A:In 1967. We have the original plaque, a substantial piece of brass that has the original LIA swirl. We consider it a nice memento of recognition from DuPont hanging in our lobby.
Q: How has being an LIA affected your company?
A: Being an LIA lends credibility to our business and was especially helpful in our early years when establishing a reputation for excellence was a priority. Back in the 80’s, we were involved with DuPont and the LIA network in providing training for DuPont employees and potential LIA’s, which also helped to further our reputation as leaders in the industry. Today our LIA status continues to provide support that contributes to our continued success.
Q: What is your favorite DuPont coating?
A: For us it would have to be PFA. This coating serves so many different purposes and I think it can be used in so many different applications. Teflon® S also comes to mind, as a general purpose coating that can be used in all kinds of situations. However, from a higher performance standpoint, PFA is the coating of choice!
Q: What excites you about the future of the coating industry?
A: There is still opportunity for these polymers to be employed in new technologies and in new ways. That’s always exciting. We have the opportunity to employ a tried and true material with the highest quality, the quality that DuPont and Intech Services provides us. We can take those polymers and use our ingenuity to apply them in ways that haven’t been done before and make products better or that make life better. That’s always very, very exciting!
