2023 Brushware May-June: Synthetic Filaments

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from the PUBLISHER

Innovation in San Diego

It was wonderful to see a vibrant and active ABMA Convention last month in San Diego. I’m working on my fifth year in the industry now and getting more and more familiar with the landscape of the brush community. I was most surprised by the number of new faces and the overall energy at the event. In fact, I had more meaningful conversations in San Diego than any of the previous editions of the convention. Of course, three of those were impacted by the pandemic, but nonetheless, it was active enough I am still working through follow-ups.

I was also impressed with the agenda and structure of the convention overall. There were enough networking events to be productive and the topics from the educational sessions were forward-thinking and generated active and engaging discussion. With the launch of ChatGPT on November 30 in 2022, the digital marketing session I attended shifted quickly to center around the implications of AI for all companies. It doesn’t take long to feel overwhelmed by the exponential impact the release represents. No matter what, it’s time to start leveraging AI because your competitors already are or soon will be. At a minimum, ChatGPT is a fantastic virtual assistant.

Without question though, my favorite segment of this year’s convention was the Innovation Award and the presentations from each of the nominees. To hear and see in detail the advantages and the thought behind each of the new products or solutions was fascinating. Dive deeper into the advances of the four nominees with our showcase on page 22. Building on that coverage, we also have a full interview with machinery supplier MGG North America which secured one of the four Innovation Award nominations for their IVM/11SL and IVM/10SP machines that offer inline manufacturing of flat and angular paintbrushes. The in-depth Q&A offers an update on their expansion into the North American market and all of the benefits and capabilities their initiative is providing to the industry.

Shifting to the materials side, we wanted to get up to date on the synthetic filament market based on the steady stream of challenges in recent years. With that in mind, senior correspondent Bob Lawrence worked out a deepdive Q&A with Andrew McIlroy from Perlon-Group / Hahl Inc.; Enrique Mejia from PMM-Proveedora Mexicana de Monofilamentos SA de CV and Jon Monahan from Monahan Filaments. See the full discussion on page 34.

Rounding it all out, I definitely want to thank all of our contributors, advertisers and readers for being a part of the Brushware community. The engagement and feedback are invaluable as we strive to provide relevant and timely content to the industry through our website, e-newsletter, social channels and of course the digital + print magazine. We hope you enjoy the issue and look forward to coming editions as well!

Dylan Goodwin | Publisher

dylan.goodwin@goodwinworldmedia.com

Issue #23-03

Brushware – a bi-monthly publication edited for key personnel in the brush, roller, broom, mop and applicator industry. Published continuously through the years, the one publication that is the spokesman for the brush and allied industries: 1898-1923, called Brooms, Brushes & Handles; 1924-1947, called Brooms, Brushes & Mops, 1948-today, called Brushware

PUBLICATION OFFICE

Brushware Magazine

Goodwin World Media LLC P.O. Box 7093

Overland Park, KS 66207 Tel: 913-636-7231

GENERAL MANAGER

Susan Goodwin info.brushware@goodwinworldmedia.com

PUBLISHER

Dylan Goodwin dylan.goodwin@goodwinworldmedia.com

EDITOR

Gwyneth Bowen news.brushware@goodwinworldmedia.com

CORRESPONDENTS

Bob Lawrence

Phil Perry

Katharina Goldbeck-Hörz

Mark E. Battersby

Lisa Anderson

Brushware (ISSN 00072710) (Canadian Sales Agreement Number 0650153) is published bimonthly by Goodwin World Media LLC, P.O. Box 7093, Overland Park, KS 66207 USA. Periodical postage paid at Overland Park, KS 66207 and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA.

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POSTMASTER – Send address changes to Brushware Magazine, P.O. Box 7093, Overland Park, KS 66207. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Materials in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Requests for permission should be addressed to: Brushware Magazine, P.O. Box 7093, Overland Park, KS 66207.

Keynote speaker Larry Broughton during the Thursday morning session

World Brush Expo Leaders On New 2024 Event

The ABMA, the European Brushware Federation (FEIBP) and Bolognafiere have officially announced the launch of a new tradeshow for the brush industry: World Brush Expo. The first edition of the event will take place May 22-24, 2024, at Bolognafiere, Bologna, Italy.

Greg Miller, ABMA President says, “I am very excited to see a new industry show arise from the ashes. It has been since 2016 that the entire industry has been able to get together and I think I speak for everyone when I say that this will be a great event for the industry and I can’t wait for 2024!”

Andrew McIlroy, FEIBP President adds, “The Bologna venue is world-class and Bologna is a fascinating city and will appeal to attendees from all over the world. In addition, their infrastructure is excellent for our show. Attendees and exhibitors alike will enjoy the variety of hotel accommodations and the easy logistics of the Bologna site.”

Antonio Bruzzone, Bolognafiere General Director, says, “As Bolognafiere, we are proud that ABMA and FEIBP chose our venue and our city for the first edition of the World Brush Expo. We are ready to organize and support with our knowledge and services this brand new event and to make it a great success for all exhibitors and visitors from all over the world.”

To learn more information about the show, the venue and the city of Bologna, visit www.worldbrushexpo.com. For those interested in more details, contact the sales team at sales@worldbrushexpo.com.

New Book on SIOP: Key to Supply Chain Success

Contributing Brushware columnist and manufacturing and supply chain expert Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD, and President of LMA Consulting Group Inc., has published: SIOP: Creating Predictable Revenue and EBITDA Growth.

call 888.833.1097

info@monahanfilaments.com

“Supply Chains continue to be the cornerstone to success in the decades to come. And while the reasons are different than during the height of the pandemic, supply chains continue to be challenged with new obstacles occurring every day. As I look at the chaos over the last few years and its negative impact on service, growth and profitability, I see the need for a proven process,” says Anderson. “The SIOP (Sales Inventory Operations Planning) also known as S&OP, is the answer. It shines a light on what is needed, engages all departments across the organization and proactively aligns demand with supply to enable growth and profitability.”

Anderson and co-author Diane Garcia developed the book to help organizations understand the value of a proven process. The book is complimentary on the LMA website at: www.lma-consultinggroup.com/siop-book/

Interclean China Second Edition Returns in October

PEOPLE

Andrew Krauss Joins Nexstep as Purchasing Specialist

Interclean China, the only dedicated international trade show in China for cleaning and hygiene, is set to return October 18-20, 2023, in Chongqing, China. Following the successful launch of the show in 2021, the 2023 event promises to be bigger, better and international, with more than 200 exhibitors, 40 keynote speakers and over 8,000 visitors expected.

Interclean China aims to provide a platform for unlimited development opportunities and networking for industry professionals following three years of closed borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With continued growth, the investment in infrastructure in the country is rising as well as the general living standard. Demand is higher than ever for professional cleaning, disinfection/hygiene products and services.

Backed by the long-standing success of its globally renowned parent brand, Interclean Amsterdam, the event will showcase the latest innovative products, services and facilities. All segments from the professional cleaning and hygiene industry will be presented — healthcare, machines, equipment, detergents, washroom, management/mobility solutions, robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and more. Visitors will have the chance to attend conferences, workshops and demonstrations from global vendors looking to import their products and services for the ever-growing market.

Interclean China is part of the Interclean brand — the world’s largest cleaning and hygiene platform, best known for the Interclean Amsterdam tradeshow. Organized by RAI Amsterdam, with a local office in Shanghai, the exhibition in China serves as the meeting place for all market leaders within the professional cleaning sector.

International companies can participate in the dedicated International Pavilion for a full-service entry into the Chinese markets. Companies that want to see what China has to offer for business opportunities can join the “Explore China” business tour. Visit www.intercleanshow.com/china or contact interclean@rai.nl for more information.

Nexstep Commercial Products, Exclusive Licensee of O-Cedar, is pleased to announce that Andrew Krauss has joined our corporate office in Springfield as a Purchasing Specialist. Krauss grew up in Mantua, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio University. After graduation, he worked in professional sports operations for the Nashville Sounds, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Columbus Clippers. He worked as a recruiter for Speedway and J.P. Morgan Chase in Columbus and then returned to Speedway in a purchasing capacity.

Krauss has been married for ten years and has an eight-year-old son and a six-yearold daughter. He coaches children’s teams and enjoys athletics of all kinds, especially outside activities.

He is excited about being at Nexstep and entering the next chapter of his career. So far, he enjoys working in a smaller company where it’s easier to get answers and he’s looking forward to developing a personal connection with Nexstep’s suppliers.

YOUR

BRUSH DESERVES THE BEST FILAMENTS

DUPONT FILAMENTS CONTINUES T O L EAD THE WAY IN INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

For more than 80 years, DuPont Filaments has been recognized as a leader in innovative synthetic filaments that enable brush manufacturers to address emerging trends and meet evolving consumer expectations.

HEALTH DESERVES THE BEST FILAMENTS -TOOTHBRUSH FILAMENTS

The most important component of a toothbrush lies in the bristle. With outstanding industry expertise accumulated over the years, coupled with our proven technologies, DuPont Filaments is dedicated to the oral care brush industry with our nylon solutions under the brand names of DuPont™ Tynex®(nylon 612) and DuPont™ Herox®(nylon 610) . Leading toothbrush brands and manufacturers are able to produce very high quality brushes with a balance of consistent quality, wear performance and unmatched productivities in tufting and end-rounding by using DuPont filaments. As consumer trends in toothbrush are increasingly focused on the six major areas of 1) Visual Attractiveness, 2) Interdental Cleaning, 3) Plaque Removal, 4) Gum Comfort, 5) Gingival Cleaning and 6) Anti-microbial within the filaments, DuPont Filaments has been working closely with the leading global brands in oral care as well as toothbrush manufacturers by fulfilling these needs with our broad range of innovative products in the portfolio

BEAUTY DESERVES THE BEST FILAMENTS -FINE FILAMENTS

DuPont™ Natrafil® filaments, a pioneering filament from DuPont’s unique polyester based material, contain proprietary texturizing additives that create a structured surface that mimics animal hair. Natrafil® filaments offer a synthetic alternative to animal hair in premium cosmetic powder brushes with more consistency in the bristle while maintaining the touch-and-feel of premium animal hair. Studies have shown that brushes made with Natrafil® filaments have equal to superior pickup and release performance versus brushes made with animal hair.

EFFICIENCY DESERVES THE BEST FILAMENTS –ABRASIVE FILAMENTS

Like most industries, steel manufacturers are always looking for

ways to increase productivity. The emphasis is on getting more square feet of metal through the mill, cleaned and coated faster than ever before. To accomplish this, steel mills are using more aggressive cleaning solutions. The problem is that the cleaning brushes typically used were quickly degrading because many plastics used in the brush filaments can’t handle the solutions of the extremes of the PH scale. The technical resources at DuPont Filaments were able to help solve the problem by adding stabilizers to one of our nylon polymer formulations, effectively extending the pH range that these filaments can be used in. Brushes made with these filaments deliver cleaning performance over an improved service life, helping steel manufactures to achieve higher productivity. Another need voiced by customers is higher aggressiveness in metal finishing applications. DuPont™ Tynex® A filaments, a family of ceramic grit-containing filaments, was developed to meet this need.

CREATIVITY DESERVES THE BEST FILAMENTS –PAINTBRUSH FILAMENTS

When manufacturers began changing their paints to water-based formulations, more people began using paintbrushes made with synthetic bristles because the hog bristles traditionally used in paintbrushes lost stiffness in water-based paints. Synthetics such as DuPont™ Tynex®, DuPont™ Chinex® and DuPont™ Orel® brand filaments quickly became popular choices. As paint manufacturers continue to improve their water-based formulations by reducing volatile organic compound (VOC) content, increasing solid loadings and decreasing drying times, there is an ongoing need for increasingly higher performing brushes. To meet this need, DuPont Filaments continues to innovate and help customize solutions. For example, we developed filaments with stiffer cross-section that can push higher viscosity paints more efficiently. We also changed the shapes of the filaments so that they not only pick up more paint from the can for faster application, but are easier to clean.

2023 Inspired Home Show Has Nearly 30,000 Visitors

The Inspired Home Show 2023 was held March 4-7 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, and the event demonstrated significant year-over-year increases in both exhibitor and retailer participation. More than 1,600 exhibitors and nearly 30,000 home and housewares professionals from 125 countries came together to discover new products, reconnect with colleagues and advance the industry.

“The 2023 Show was an incredible step forward in the post-pandemic recovery of face-to-face events for the home + housewares industry,” says Derek Miller, president and CEO of the International Housewares Association. “The enthusiasm and positive feedback we have seen over the last four days reminds us all how important it is to gather the industry together in-person every year. It was particularly rewarding to see the return of so many who were unable to participate last year.”

Strong support for the Show was demonstrated by the industry, through the presence of major key retailers and leading exhibiting brands. Attendees confirmed at the Show included senior-level executives, DMMs, GMMs and buyers from major retailers around the world. A complete list of exhibiting companies and brands, along with product details can be found on IHA's Connect 365 platform at app. theinspiredhomeshow.com/Connect365.

The Show featured multiple new and returning attractions:

• Addition of the Travel Gear + Luggage category, created in partnership with the Travel Goods Association.

• The pre-Show New Exhibitor Preview and Trending Today, which featured brands and products new to the Show that support at-home entertaining.

• The gia Global Innovation Awards, honoring excellence in home + housewares retailing, product design and student achievement.

• Four keynotes focused on the future of home + housewares trends in consumer and retail evolution, including one by Walmart’s Head of Home Goods and General Manager of Home Marketplace.

• Innovation Theater sessions featuring industry experts such as Joe Derochowski of Circana (formerly The NPD Group); Anita Desai, TikTok’s Head of Home and Living; and leaders from Newell Brands discussing their consumer occasions-based marketing strategy.

• The return of the Housewares Cares Charity Gala, benefitting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the James Beard Foundation, Winning with Wyatt and the V Foundation.

The Inspired Home Show 2024 will take place March 16-19, 2024, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Registration is currently open at https://app.theinspiredhomeshow.com/registration.

Photo courtesy of The Inspired Home Show

CAP & Associates Celebrates 20 Years with Global Shop Solutions

When a business meets customer needs in a cost-effective manner year after year, its customers tend to stay with them for a long time. Global Shop Solutions is a perfect example. A leading provider of ERP software for manufacturers around the world, Global Shop Solutions is proud to announce another one of its customers, CAP & Associates, Inc., recently passed the 20-year mark as a customer. A global source for retail displays, fixtures, themed environments and hospitality furnishings, CAP ran the business for many years with only an AS-400 system for invoicing and Excel spreadsheets for everything else. The lack of access to real-time data created numerous problems with inventory, purchasing, estimating and tracking costs and other production processes. Global Shop Solutions ERP software has transformed the business over the past 20 years by providing the visibility to manage CAP’s entire production process more efficiently and effectively.

“Global Shop Solutions is a one-stop ERP solution that has everything we need all in one fully integrated system,” says Annette McLaughlin, IT Manager for CAP. “It’s easy to use, simple to navigate, and we get great support when we need it. CAP has tripled sales over the past 20 years, a rate of growth we couldn’t have achieved without a very robust ERP software behind it.“

McLaughlin also attributes CAP’s 20 years of loyalty to the service they receive from Global Shop Solutions and the people that deliver it.

“Their experienced service team and Virtual Training are two of the key reasons we’ve stayed with Global Shop Solutions,” she says. “Over the years we’ve developed relationships with many of their long-term employees who enjoy hearing from us and are quick to resolve issues. They always make us feel like a valued customer rather than just a number.”

Global Shop Solutions ERP software provides the applications needed to deliver a quality part on time, every time from quote to cash and everything in between including shop management, scheduling, inventory, accounting, quality control, CRM and 25 more.

CAP & Associates Shop Floor

Phillip M. Perry

As part of our 125th-anniversary celebration, Brushware is offering an article related to the history of the magazine in each edition for 2023. For our third installment in the series, we have the following interview with long-time Brushware correspondent, Phillip M. Perry.

Current location?

I still live in New York City, but long ago moved downtown to the Soho area. When did you start with Brushware and how did you get connected with the magazine?

I have many fond memories of my early days working as a freelance writer providing material to Brushware. I had just moved to New York City in 1977 a few years after I launched my freelance writing career fresh out of college, and had set up shop in a small windowless office. It was just north of Times Square at 1600 Broadway in the Studebaker Building — so named because many decades earlier it had served as an automobile factory and showroom. I think the rent was $120 a month. (By the time I took up residence in the building it had become a center for motion picture editing). I got wind of Brushware through its listing in Writer’s Market — a directory of magazines using freelance work. I began writing profiles of brush makers for Carl Wurzer.

What is your favorite aspect of working with Brushware?

My favorite part of working for Brushware is the interviewing that I do for my stories, most of which center around employee or financial management. The magazine has published my annual economic forecast story for seven years running. I hope readers get some useful information from it.

Do you have a top highlight or favorite story of working with Brushware?

One time I had the pleasure of meeting Carl when he visited New York. Another time when I traveled to Washington, D.C., we enjoyed a visit to a brush manufacturer with his editor William Magnus. Most of my profiles were of companies in the New York City area. I also took two train trips around the United States, writing up profiles along the way for Brushware as well as a half dozen other trade magazines, taking pictures with a twin-lens Yashica camera using Kodak 120 film. The film was processed by a fellow from Malta who had established a photo studio a few blocks away. What fun!

What do think is the key strength of Brushware?

I think the key strength of Brushware is the in-depth industry knowledge of everyone involved.

How do you think Brushware can best serve the brush industry community going forward? Ask brush makers about their key concerns, then address them in the stories.

Do you have any final thoughts or comments on the 125-year anniversary of Brushware magazine?

I love how the magazine has changed over the years. It has continually grown in sophistication and in its devotion to reader service. Here’s to another 125 years!

Synthetic filamentsbrought to you by DKSH Switzerland Ltd.

US Distributor: Brush Fibers Arcola

Please contact us for further information, specifications and offers:

Reinhold Hoerz

Senior Sales Manager, Brush Industry Phone +41 44 386 7901 Mobile +41 79 785 4657

reinhold.hoerz@dksh.com www.dksh.ch/brush

Think Asia. Think DKSH.

How Smart Manufacturers Are Navigating Interest Rate Hikes

By Lisa Anderson

Interest rates have increased by a historic amount within the last year. Increases of almost five points on such an aggressive timeline are already having a significant impact on the ability of manufacturers and distributors to fund and support their business growth. With typical business loans renewing every five to seven years, the impacts will continue to pile up.

In addition to high-interest rates for loans and lines of credit, costs have been increasing at a rapid pace during the last two years. The producer price index (PPI) rose by over 15 percent in the last two years. Typically, clients have been able to pass on part of these increases to customers, but most, if not all, have absorbed part as well, driving margins down. On top of that, wage rates have been increasing in alignment with these factors as well. Thus, manufacturers and distributors are experiencing higher input costs and higher costs to secure capital. This situation will not change anytime soon, so smart manufacturers must take control of their destiny.

Top-performing manufacturers are proactively and aggressively managing inventory. That doesn’t necessarily mean cutting inventory without analyzing the whole picture, as that would negatively impact their ability to service customers and grow the business. Instead, they are right-sizing their inventory with best-practice supply chain planning processes. Start with SIOP (Sales Inventory Operations Planning), also known as S&OP as this process defines your demand plan and sales forecast and determines how to best supply that plan to reliably service customers at the lowest cost and with the least amount of inventory tied up unnecessarily. The SIOP process will also highlight the appropriate strategic decisions required to keep ahead of changing conditions.

Beyond SIOP, best practice supply chain planning processes encompass the end-to-end supply chain from the material planning stage, where firms determine what to order from suppliers, on to production planning/scheduling to determine what to run to optimize the manufacturing facility to best serve customers while minimizing safety stock inventory. Lastly, through distribution/replenishment planning to get the right product to the right place at the right time. Depending on your manufacturing process (make-to-stock, configure-to-order,

engineer-to-order, etc.), the lead times, order frequency and several other variables, there are different planning methods. In addition, it is key to provide training, mentoring and education for your planners. With a heavy dose of common sense, it is possible to accelerate cash flow and minimize the need to borrow.

This kind of strategic planning approach also offers additional benefits like minimizing costs through optimized operational efficiencies, reductions in waste, advance notice to help develop long-term contracts with suppliers and more. For example, while consulting with an aerospace manufacturer, the executive team wanted a strategy to reduce inventory to free up debt and the associated interest payments while maintaining service to customers. The end goal was to improve their ability to sell the business for a maximum price. Thus, the client established priorities by dedicating an executive to the role, providing supply chain consulting support, rolling out SIOP and best practice inventory planning processes, and then emphasizing and rewarding the team for reaching the goal, which centered on aligning the facilities to share inventory. Success followed and inventory was reduced by more than 30 percent on the core product lines.

High-interest rates are just the latest challenge. Smart manufacturers will prioritize SIOP, roll out best practice supply chain planning processes and support the process with proper resources. This is the best course to successfully navigate turbulent times and be better prepared to serve customers successfully going forward.

Lisa Anderson is the founder and president of LMA Consulting Group, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in manufacturing strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation that maximizes the customer experience and enables profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth. She recently released “SIOP (Sales Inventory Operations Planning): Creating Predictable Revenue and EBITDA Growth”, an e-book on how to better navigate supply chain chaos and ensure profitable, scalable business growth. A complimentary download can be found at www.lma-consultinggroup.com/siop-book/

Business As Usual

The 106th ABMA Annual Convention took place March 22-25, 2023, at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California. The event looked a lot like pre-pandemic editions with 183 participants on hand for three-plus days of productive meetings, informative sessions and engaging events. The week’s activities culminated with the popular Friday morning Face 2 Face session, which was extended this year to provide attendees ample time to connect and network. The Face 2 Face format again received high praise from both attendees and exhibitors based on the opportunity to conduct focused meetings without interruption.

The event attracted 38 manufacturing companies and 33 suppliers resulting in a diverse and dynamic gathering. The convention’s highlight on Thursday morning was the keynote address by renowned hotelier, Larry Broughton of Broughton Hotels. Broughton is a highly accomplished entrepreneur, author and keynote speaker. He is well-known for his work as the Founder and CEO of Broughton Hotels, a collection of boutique hotels, which he built from scratch and grew into a successful enterprise. Broughton has been recognized with numerous awards for his business accomplishments, notably Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award. He has written several books, including “VICTORY: 7 Revolutionary Strategies for Entrepreneurs to Launch Your Business, Elevate Your Impact, and Transform Your Life” and “The Broughton Rules: Leadership Strategies for Entrepreneurs.”

Broughton’s presentation at the convention centered around 5 Star Strategies to Create an Extraordinary Life & Business, which included: Removing Negative Self Chatter, Focusing on Strengths, Rapid Action, Expecting and Embracing Failure and the Pursuit of Excellence.

TOP: Incoming ABMA President Chris Monahan of Brush Fibers presents an appreciation gift to outgoing president, Greg Miller, Mill-Rose Company

MIDDLE LEFT: Marco Momoli spoke on the new World Brush Expo set for May 2024 in Bologna, Italy.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Jeff Malish explains the benefits of the Flex ScrubTM Bristle Floor Pad from Malish Corporation with assistance from Greg Miller.

LOWER: Chip Preston from Spiral Brushes gives the Statistical Committee report

Expanding on that development theme, the ABMA Educational Institute ran concurrent sessions on Wednesday afternoon with topics that included Today’s Digital Marketing Environment, by Justin Cramer of J. Cramer Graphics, Digital Workplace Solutions, presented by Rick Rietz, Vice President, DMC and Demystifying the World of Carbon Accounting and Sustainability, presented by Oren Jaffe, Senior Manager at SCS Global Services.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

FINANCE | R.J. Lindstrom, Zephyr Manufacturing

R.J. Lindstrom reported that the ABMA is on solid footing from a cash and reserve perspective, but did note that there was a net loss last year of roughly $30,000. The shortage was attributed to convention food and beverage costs that were dramatically higher than budgeted, as those costs have escalated post-pandemic. Additionally, the executive director transition also generated additional expenses as two executive leadership teams attended the 2022 conventions for training.

PUBLIC RELATIONS | R.J. Lindstrom, Zephyr Manufacturing

Lindstrom also announced the release of the new ABMA website which was an initiative led by ABMA Executive Director Donna Frendt. Lindstrom commented that it had been reworked from scratch and has good information with resources on the backend where members can pay dues and register for the convention.

The Digital Workplace Solutions Educational Session Presented by Rick Rietz, Vice President, DMC

Keynote: Broughton’s 5 Star Strategies to Create an Extraordinary Life & Business

Remove Negative Chatter From Your Life And Mind. Broughton says many of us have way too many naysayers and detractors in our lives who suck our energy and passion. Most of us have enough negative self-chatter spinning in our heads we don’t need reinforced by family and “friends.” Broughton says to shed the negative people from your life and replace the negative self-talk with affirmations of love and reassurance.

Focus On Your Strengths. Broughton says we are inclined to spend valuable time “improving our weaknesses” rather than making our strengths stronger. Leaders and business owners have the opportunity to build an elite team with diverse ideas and talent. A good team working toward a common goal or vision can have a massive impact on the business landscape and change the world. For a leader, an elite team will boost your competency and confidence. Broughton says a fatal flaw for many leaders is the fear of surrounding themselves with people who are bolder and brighter than they are.

Take Rapid Action. Broughton cautions against confusing the concept of being a visionary with the ability to bring forth a vision. In other words, don’t settle for being a dreamer rather than a doer. He offered General George S. Patton’s famous quote as the better approach, “A good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect plan next week.”

Expect and Embrace Failure. Broughton notes that the founder of the Honda Motor Company is known for saying “Success is 99% failure.” Failure is not the issue, but how we respond to it is. Sometimes we simply need to quickly evaluate our circumstances, make a five to ten-degree course correction, and move out towards our goal, again.

Pursue Excellence. Brougton says rather than seeking perfection, we should pursue excellence in everything we do. How would your life and business be different if you had pursued excellence rather than accepted mediocrity? He says these things are simple, but they’re not easy … I understand that! In the Army, there is a saying, “Choose the hard right over the easy wrong.”

106th ABMA Annual Convention | March 22-25, 2023

Hotel Del Coronado | San Diego, California

Educational Sessions: One Sentence Recaps

Today’s Digital Marketing Environment

Justin Cramer of J. Cramer Graphics

Cramer likes Instagram as the best opportunity and warns to stay away from TikTok, but ChatGPT and the new generation of AI and language learning models are likely to change the entire game once again.

Digital Workplace Solutions

Rick Rietz, Vice President, DMC

The session centered on Microsoft products, and while it was noted that Teams has quickly adapted to be a one-stop solution for office and external communication, Microsoft’s array of overlapping products continue to create confusion.

Demystifying the World of Carbon Accounting & Sustainability

Oren Jaffe, Senior Manager at SCS Global Services

Trying to grasp the exponentially expanding sustainability reporting scenarios from the incoming/outgoing products perspective in addition to the raw materials implications was mind-melting, but Jaffe made a strong case that firms need to get started on gathering information as this will be the new standard.

The Emerging Leaders Group also is part of the public relations committee and Lindstrom noted the group has an active agenda for 2023 with eight total meetings scheduled. Anyone under 45 in the industry is eligible to join the group and each member receives a leadership book.

He also noted the ABMA board has authorized a small budget to outsource a social media plan targeted at growing the membership and the initiative was a few months into implementing that strategy.

STATISTICAL | Chip Preston, Spiral Brushes, Inc.

Chip Preston reported the committee had reviewed the economic statistics published monthly by the ABMA staff, which consists of 15 components. After some discussion, the committee decided to add a currency exchange rate for future reports.

The committee also reviewed the upcoming wage survey and discussed the need to improve as well as possible methods to improve survey participation.

Additionally, the committee discussed the industrial maintenance sales trends survey. The committee has decided to change survey processors to reduce costs and will move to a smaller CPA firm. Preston noted the committee has emphasized the importance during the transition to maintain consistency and protect the anonymity of participants and the confidentiality of the information that is submitted.

SAFETY STANDARDS | Brian Keiser, Osborn International

Brian Keiser reported the safety slips had a price increase that was approved at the last committee meeting. Pricing is still very competitive and he said there were no new price increases to date. He said the committee discussed the potential to use a QR code to replace the safety slip at some point. Based on legal advice this initiative is on hold.

David Antler of Dedeco International

The ANSI audit was completed in 2022 successfully and the organization is re-accredited through 2027. He said there are discussions to consider a switch from ANSI to ASTN. ASTN is easier to work with and typically cheaper.

MEMBERSHIP | Greg Miller, Mill-Rose Company

Greg Miller gave the Membership Report in place of Bruce Massey who could not attend. Miller said the membership stands at 133 currently, which reflects a net loss of four members from the previous year. He said membership recruitment was discussed and the committee reviewed the results and recommendations provided by BGI, a marketing firm hired by the ABMA to focus on the recruitment and retention of members. BGI is focusing on LinkedIn analytics, e-mail outreach and ad campaigns.

CONVENTION NOTES

NEXT YEAR: The 107th ABMA Convention will be held at the Omni Resort on Amelia Island near Jacksonville, Florida, March 19-22, 2024. The event is shifting the normal schedule

forward one day in the week, which means the traditional opening reception will be held on Tuesday as opposed to Wednesday. The shift in schedule is a tactic to reduce costs by moving away from the more expensive weekend days.

HEADING TO TEXAS: The 2025 ABMA Convention event location will be held in Austin, Texas, from March 25-28.

NEW LEADERS: Chris Monahan, Brush Fibers, takes over as the new ABMA president and R.J. Lindstrom of Zephyr Manufacturing will serve as the new vice president. Todd Leventhal of Nextep Commercial Products will be treasurer and Greg Miller, Mill-Rose Company, will serve in the role of past president.

WORLD BRUSH EXPO: Marco Momoli from BolognaFiere was in attendance to promote the new World Brush Expo to be held May 22-24, 2024 in Bologna, Italy. Momoli says the event is expecting 10,000 attendees and 200 exhibiting companies.

ABMA Innovation Award

The ABMA announced four nominees for the William A. Cordes Innovation Award with the nominees all being given the opportunity to offer presentations and showcase information and product in the lobby. Voting for the winner was conducted through a QR code survey, with the Malish Corporation taking the top honor for their Flex ScrubTM Bristled Floor Pad.

Winner: Malish Corporation’s Flex ScrubTM Bristled Floor Pad

The Flex ScrubTM Bristled Floor Pad from Malish blends the familiarity and easy installation of a traditional pad with the robust cleaning power of a brush. Jeff Malish showed off the new product noting traditional floor cleaning pads grind dirt and debris into the floor instead of cleaning while sweeping over grout lines and texture. Additionally, floor pads hold dirt and grime that nest in the pad. That means the pads must be flipped, washed out, frequently changed and discarded. The new Flex ScrubTM offers the same installation and familiar operation of a floor pad for existing floor machines but with superior cleaning power and a 50-to-1 ratio for outlasting traditional pads. With the brush approach, it reaches into grout lines to provide a deeper, more effective cleaning process with far less maintenance. The improved overall cleaning performance is a simple way to reduce labor costs. The 50-to-1 lifetime ratio vs traditional pads offers cost savings and an environmental benefit by reducing landfill waste.

Nominee: MGG North America IVM/11SL + IVM/10SP

MGG’s nomination was a new automated production line with the IVM/11SL + IVM/10SP producing angular and flat paintbrushes inline. With more than 30 years of experience, MGG’s Veronica Marcon said the company has recently worked to develop a reliable solution that could meet the high standards of North American paintbrush manufacturers. The machine line produces angular paint brushes from one to four inches with the ability to insert up to three wedges and achieve a high-quality result in the head-making process. The fully automated vulcanizing machine is specifically engineered to minimize the amount of glue necessary for each paintbrush. The combination of the two machines offers the ability to manufacture a large variety of flat and angled paintbrushes.

IVM/11SL

IVM/10SP

106th ABMA Annual Convention | March 22-25, 2023

Hotel Del Coronado | San Diego, California

Nominee: Ergonline Bender Roller Handle

Ergonline’s Bender Roller Handle bridges the gap between narrow wall rollers and heavier dual-arm floor rollers to introduce a wider, yet lightweight roller option that allows faster coverage. Egonline says typical wall and ceiling paint roller handles don’t allow an adequate range of action for floor applications and are not designed to cover a large area. On the other hand, the typical floor roller handle has a heavy structure and is not designed to be used where it doesn’t get any support, such as wall and ceiling applications. Their new Bender Roller Handle is designed to provide a handle for paints, resins and general covering products applications that can be used in both scenarios — for floors or walls and ceilings.

Nominee: Wooster Brush GripTech

Wooster’s new Pro GripTech features a rubberized grip built into both sides of the handle that offers increased comfort for better user ergonomics while reducing the possibility of slippage during prolonged usage. The brush works with all paints and offers a firm, polyester filament blend that provides smooth finishes in both interior and exterior usage. The angled cut makes it a great brush for interior corners and trim.

LEISTNER

Leistner Werkzeug GmbH

Auerbacher Str. 15

D-08328 Stuetzengruen/Germany

www.leistner-gmbh.de info@leistner-gmbh.de

Ph: +49-(0)37462-288 150

Fx: +49-(0)37462-288 159

Proud Member of

DRILLS FOR THE BRUSH INDUSTRY. MADE OF TUNGSTEN OR HSS. FOR USE ON HIGH PERFORMANCE CNC MACHINES

106th ABMA Annual Convention | March 22-25, 2023

Hotel Del Coronado | San Diego, California

Face 2 Face Gallery

Dennise Silva-PMM, Jim Benjamin-Precision Brush Company, Nora Bravo-PMM and Enrique Mejia-PMM

Bruce Gale-Michigan Brush Mfg. Co.

Matt Monahan and Jon Monahan from Monahan Filaments.

Jason Riha and Greg Miller of Mill-Rose Company with Ralph Rosenbaum of Stainless Steel Products

Todd Ramsey-Ram Manufacturing, Jim Benjamin-Precision Brush Company and Taylor Jameson-Ram Manufacturing.

Dave Magner of Deco Products.

Terry Hogan-Perlon-Group / Hahl Inc., Jeff Malish-Malish Corporation, Andrew McIlroy and Florian Kisling of Perlon-Group / Hahl Inc.

Lance Cheney and Max Cheney-Braun Brush and Kim Johnstun-Easy Reach Supply LLC.

Carlos Petzold-Borghi USA, Alessandro Acquaderni-SIT Brush and Paolo Malavasi-Unimac s.r.l.

106th ABMA Annual Convention | March 22-25, 2023

Hotel Del Coronado | San Diego, California

Face 2 Face Gallery

TOP LEFT: Ian Moss-Brush Fibers, Ron Cherryholmes-Pelray International Co., Chris Monahan-Brush Fibers and Bart Pelton-Pelray International Co.

TOP RIGHT: Chip Preston-Spiral Brushes and David Kalisz-MFC Ltd.

BOTTOM LEFT: Paolo Roversi-Borghi S.P.A., Glenn Hirschfeld-Power Brushes, Inc. and Miguel Medrano-Borghi USA.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Dustin ManinfiorAmerican Select Tubing/AST Filaments and Sofia Teles, Filkemp S.A.

TOP LEFT: Matthias Peveling-Wohler Brush Tech GmbH and Frank Kigyos-Franklin Automation, Inc.

TOP RIGHT: Rachel Ciullo-Composite Cutter Technology

MIDDLE LEFT: Kris Geldof-Boucherie USA, Inc., Bart Boucherie, Jr.-Boucherie USA, Inc., Charles CowardHill Brush Inc. and John Williams-Boucherie USA, Inc.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Nathan Labecki and Tom Hagemann from WCJ Pilgrim Wire.

LOWER LEFT: Alan Lee and Gonzalo Martinez from Schaefer Brush and Ralph Rosenbaum from Stainless Steel Products

MGG Looks to Bring Service and Vision to North America

The MGG North America team at the 2023 ABMA Convention in San Diego. Stefano Paggin, Alberto Voltolina, Carlo Pozzobon, Francesca Martinotti, Veronica Marcon and Beatrice Marcon (Left to Right).

Brushware was offered the opportunity to meet with the MGG and MGG North America team at the 2023 ABMA Convention held in March at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. The conversation covered a range of topics including the comprehensive customer service and onboarding capabilities MGG North America offers and plans to expand that service in addition to a new collaboration with Paggin. Our roundtable session included Alberto Voltolina, Veronica Marcon, Beatrice Marcon, Carlo Pozzobon, Francesca Martinotti and Stefano Paggin.

One year ago, we heard about your plans for North America and how you were targeting the paintbrush and roller market. How do you feel about your progress so far?

Veronica Marcon: When we decided to open the North American company, we wanted to be closer to our customers in the American market because we saw that from Italy, we couldn’t really have the same feedback or as close of a relationship with them. So we decided to open this company and at the convention, we had the confirmation that opening the company was the right choice. All of our customers are excited and benefited to have us here in the US.

Alberto Voltolina: The business volume was almost 10 times the amount compared to what we had been selling in the United States prior. Not only for new machines but for service as well. Especially after-sales service is the baseline of a company. If the customer is not happy after the sale, there is no future for a company.

We are doing a great job with spare parts and consumables. Thanks to the new warehouse in Charlotte, we can store parts and consumable parts like nails, ferrules and plugs. The customer can push the button and order certain quantities and can get the quantity that they need overnight.

The industry overall has benefited from MGG launching in the United States.

Carlo Pozzobon: We sell machines, we sell spare parts, we improved a lot, but we sell something intangible, which is the trust with our clients, and the relationships have improved dramatically in this last year. Many customers who previously didn’t want to be in touch with their suppliers have opened the doors of their facilities. We make relationships and build trust and these kinds of things reinforce what MGG already had before.

So the ABMA Convention has been a good opportunity to find new customers?

Alberto Voltolina: Yes, we’re having a good event. I would say the breakdown is 20 percent paintbrush and roller

manufacturers and 80 percent brush manufacturers. So you can count on one hand the number of paintbrush manufacturers here. With the presence of Stefano Paggin, we can even target this portion of the market that we were not able to support as MGG, so we are going to verticalize our portfolio. Now, we will have a few meetings with industry brush manufacturers, and we consider this a good time for networking. Obviously, everybody is waiting and looking forward to next year’s World Brush Expo event. Bologna is like one hour from our headquarters.

Will you take machinery to the World Brush Expo?

Veronica Marcon: Of course, we will bring something to be physically touched because we know from our experiences that clients want to touch the equipment, not just only seeing the machines on a video. We’re working on new projects and news about machines, not only in paintbrushes but also in paint rollers, which is a sector that we have been developing in the last few years.

We will bring something digital as well, like a plant configurator which can help our customer in digital implementation and seeing their new plants on a screen.

Do you want to talk about the relationship with Paggin and how that’s going to work?

Stefano Paggin: I started working on this collaboration with MGG last year. As Paggin, we started working in the US in the early 90s. Step by step, we have learned a lot from the American market and from the American manufacturers. They’ve taught us how to develop some solutions and I think we made something good, and we’ve delivered a good number of machines to the US. On the other hand, MGG has developed very much compared to our size and they are very strong in developing new equipment and state-of-the-art technological solutions. Now I see the need to be supported by a company like MGG for servicing the customers in the US. We’ve delivered a lot of equipment, but we are still a small company, and we need stronger shoulders to support this company. So that’s why I asked MGG if they were willing to support us on this.

So to clarify the Paggin machines and brand will still continue and MGG will provide customer and technical for your equipment?

Stefano Paggin: Yes, for the time being. But in the future, if this collaboration works out well, we will share the ideas and we will work together.

Alberto Voltolina: We are finding the right way to make it happen. Right now, we are starting with the information that we can share. We are creating synergies between the two companies, especially in service. Paggin sold a lot of lines everywhere in the United States and we did a great job in the last two years as MGG North America. We are confident that in the coming months, we can have even better news for the market, and everyone can benefit from this possible collaboration.

Generally speaking, if we want to outline the collaboration, the companies, both of us, we want to assure that we deliver what we promise. That’s the reason why MGG decided to open in North America. We keep investing in service and the idea is to be physically present because we want to deliver what we are promising. It’s easy to sell and now it will be even easier to sell because there will be no competition unless someone wants to buy Chinese. This is a decision a customer can make, but I don’t see the American customer moving in that direction, considering the political situation.

Stefano Paggin: I agree 100%. We want to take advantage of working together, but also we want to be stronger on servicing and supplying what we can.

So on the technology side, there is the potential for knowledge sharing going forward between MGG and Paggin. Have you learned anything already?

Stefano Paggin: The collaboration will always bring some new ideas. From them for sure, the integration of new ideas is very important. They are very good and they have a good team of designers and so for sure, some ideas will also give us improvement on our equipment.

Alberto Voltolina: We have the robotic company in MGG, so we can also serve other industries with our multi-company approach. We are always thinking and we are investing a lot of money in those kinds of technologies and innovations.

Is there some advantage or edge that MGG provides right out of the box that always impresses new customers?

Alberto Voltolina: The physical presence here is something in certain situations that surprised our customers because they were used to dealing with our Italian colleagues. Like with a six-hour or nine-hour California time difference. So how can you deal with the supplier in this way? Now we are here. We are Italian, so sometimes they ask us, “Okay, are you flying back to Europe?” No, we are really here.

And, we can also be price competitive for certain kinds of products, such as nails, plastic films for wrapping, wedges,

epoxy resins … all those kind of materials that usually come straight from the supplier. Considering the economy of scale, sometimes we can be more competitive on price.

How does an implementation work with a new customer?

Francesca Martinotti: There is a system inside the company to follow a new customer project. One person follows the project step by step, including the construction of the machine. So, it’s very important to manage the entire process during the life of the machines. When a customer orders a machine, we are going to get in touch directly with the customer and follow step by step the entire project until the delivery. So then we pass all the information to the service department, so it’s important also for the after-sales part. It’s an internal procedure that MGG has been implemented in the last two or three years and it’s an important service to the customers.

Veronica Marcon: It’s important to stay in touch with the client because sometimes the delivery time is 12 months from the order. So it’s important to update them about the status of the production of the machines

MGG was selected as one of the ABMA Innovation Award nominees and you had a video presentation that really showcased the line. Do you want to comment on your entry?

Alberto Voltolina: It is a clear example of innovation. You see how the machine works. I mean everything is automatic. The full automatic line — 16 pieces of equipment in a row — it can be managed by two skilled operators. This is incredible for a very manual industry like the paintbrush and roller industry.

Veronica Marcon: We are innovating the machines and implementing robotic islands as well, not because we want to remove people from the production. Sometimes there is the perception that automation lines are just for countries where the manpower is really expensive. But that’s not true, because we sell a lot of production plants in South America where the manpower is not that expensive. It’s something that can help production because people in the morning at 8:00 o’clock, they are fresh and they can work in a certain way. But then at the end of the day, they can make errors. Robotic lines don’t do that because they have repeatability in the process. That’s why we are always implementing our lines with automatic feeders and robotic islands.

Alberto Voltolina: Sometimes people that are used to working in manual mode, they are a little bit scared about implementing automation and we have had several examples here in North America where the production, especially for small batches is manual. Implementing automation is not in opposition to working manually, but it is adding something more. We are not removing people from the floor, we are just providing consistency and repeatability to the process.

We sell machines, we sell spare parts, we improved a lot, but we sell something intangible, which is the trust with our clients, and the relationships have improved dramatically in this last year.

—Carlo Pozzobon

Additionally, in this world where hiring people is so difficult. With this kind of implementation, you have the ability to maintain the know-how internally in the company. During this time of high turnover, sometimes people leave the floor and go to work for a competitor, which is the most dramatic situation that can happen for a manufacturer. With us, you are able to store in the brain of the machine all the most important information of the recipes and you are able to retrieve the recipes.

With the connection and feedback from the machines in the market, are you able to use the data to improve the equipment and lines overall?

Carlo Pozzobon: That’s crucial because we can do better using the feedback we have from the customers. So we like to consider our machines, not just standard machines, but customized machines based on the feedback from the client. Every client has some different qualities that they want to provide to their customers. And so we act accordingly, that’s why the feedback is really important.

Alberto Voltolina: It is retroactive feedback because our machines are connected to our Italian headquarters through a private IP. So we can easily see what is going on in the customer’s equipment with a limited view to retrieve only the information that is needed in order to implement a corrective action plan if necessary.

Carlo Pozzobon: And provide service from remote if it is needed. If the machine has an issue, our technicians from Italy can directly intervene through the WiFi connection

and fix what is wrong if it is something electronic. Or at least understand what’s going on.

Alberto Voltolina: This is what is nice about technology. We are not here to replace people, but just to provide added value for those kinds of services where we can put our hand remotely inside the machines.

Carlo Pozzobon: And then we save a lot of money also for the customer because having somebody from Italy, going directly to the customer plant is a big cost. So now with this technology, you don’t have to physically be present.

Is there anything not covered that you would like to comment on?

Carlo Pozzobon: I think the presence here in the States with the warehouse is definitely something that is very important, not only for the spare parts and the service but also for the machines themselves. With the idea that we can gradually move to the point that we can make an assembly facility here in the States. That means, that from Italy, the machines start in groups and we can assemble them here in the US. We can have our customers come to Charlotte instead of going to Italy to check the machine before being delivered. It’s a work in progress that will only get better.

Alberto Voltolina: It’s coming down the road. But we did a lot in the last 12 months, so we have to keep doing a lot now. We will do a lot with Stefano in the next 18 to 24 months potentially, but this is the next step that we want to take.

Synthetic Brush Filament: Accelerated Growth

The global synthetic fiber market in which the synthetic brush filament industry is a small but growing segment is projected to increase by a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.9% during the next five years, according to a Facts and Factors market research study. The Indiabased firm says the projected value of the market by 2028 will be $102 billion USD, up from an initial value of $63.2 billion two years ago. These figures reflect the continued ubiquity of synthetic production in a multitude of global manufacturing sectors, including the brush industry in which non-natural filaments have experienced exponential growth. This is due, of course, to innovational research and development resulting in synthetic fiber mimicking natural fiber, and in some applications, being superior to it. Even so, this doesn’t signal the end of natural fibers in brush manufacturing as it is still the preference for specific applications. That being said, like the overall brush fiber market, the production of synthetic brush filaments, has suffered upheavals due to unforeseen events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting economic impact and now a war in Ukraine. To catch up on the overall impact, Brushware asked three major synthetic filament producers to provide input on the status of their industry today.

by Bob Lawrence

Enrique Mejia

Andrew McIlroy

Jon Monahan

As a filament producer, what are the major challenges your company has to contend with?

Andrew McIlroy, Perlon’s sales and marketing director: Dating back to early 2021 through 2022, there were multiple increases in price applied by raw material suppliers, force majeure declarations for both base products and polymer, shortages of available product and much longer lead times than before. Thankfully this situation now seems to be behind us, with availability more or less back to normal and prices improving.

PMM General Manager Enrique Mejia: Inflation, raw materials availability, labor shortages.

Jon Monahan, President, Monahan Filaments: Labor and raw materials.

In the past two years, have there been any impediments to your acquiring petrochemicals to produce your product?

Andrew McIlroy: Yes very much so. Despite long-term planning and forecasting, we were often left short on the volumes we required to maintain normal production levels – we often had to prioritize customer requirements based on the availability of resin.

Jon Monahan: Yes. Our suppliers have dealt with the high cost of inputs (oil/chemicals), transportation and energy.

Enrique Mejia: Several shortages and force majeure announcements during the pandemic complicated the polymers sourcing. In addition, logistics, sea freight costs and container availability were a constant headache.

America’s Premier Artist Brush Manufacturer

What country or countries supply the petrochemicals for your production?

Jon Monahan: US, Canada, Europe, Asia.

Andrew McIlroy: As a company with production sites on three continents we have a global supply chain. Typically, we try to source resin from companies located in the same region as our respective plants.

Enrique Mejia: We import engineering polymers mostly from the USA and Europe. A smaller volume from Asia.

Have there been any supply chain issues connected to the availability of petrochemicals for your production, and if so why?

Enrique Mejia: Force majeure announcements connected with weather events, plant accidents and major maintenance problems. I think, there were too many managers and supervisors working from home in the polymers industry production facilities and this lack of supervision originated mistakes everywhere.

Jon Monahan: Yes, ocean freight costs, energy costs and disruption due to global issues.

Where do you see costs going for the rest of the year and on into the next year?

Jon Monahan: Up to flat. It probably won’t go down unless a global recession looms. Inflationary pressures will probably offset any weakening in demand.

Enrique Mejia: We do not anticipate substantial cost reductions. The whole petrochemical and polymer production industry is rearranging. Several major company acquisitions are going on. I think this consolidation will keep prices high.

Andrew McIlroy: In Asia and Europe, prices have receded since the start of 2023 — all because demand is lower and availability is generally good. Future pricing will depend heavily on the global economic situation. If things improve generally, prices may rise again slightly. At some point, the low point will have been reached, and this will lead suppliers to limit availability in an attempt to drive prices up. Personally and hopefully, I would not expect to see any further increases this year.

We do not anticipate substantial cost reductions. The whole petrochemical and polymer production industry is rearranging. Several major company acquisitions are going on. I think this consolidation will keep prices high.

Andrew McIlroy: Starting in early 2021 and continuing throughout 2022 the availability of all polymer types has varied — from overnight force majeure declarations and an immediate cessation of supply to vastly reduced availability. We have heard every excuse going for this — too many to mention here.

And that has likely impacted costs?

Andrew McIlroy: Costs for every polymer have increased, some more than others. During COVID in 2020 and 2021, capacity was reduced worldwide, leading to severe shortages of everything, which led to major issues when demand increased in early 2021. High demand and low supply were, without doubt, the main reason for price increases — coupled with increased energy prices to manufacture said polymers.

Enrique Mejia: Prices went up as never before. For commodity plastic resins there have been some reductions but, still there is a lot of market uncertainty.

Jon Monahan: Overall demand is high and supply constrained — sanctions on Russia re-routing supply and contracts, US restrictions on domestic production, OPEC lowering production and other macro factors impacting supply and demand.

Have there been other increases in production costs during the past two years?

Enrique Mejia: Everything is up: interest rates, additives, colorants, packaging materials, labor and energy.

Andrew McIlroy: Labor costs due to a tight labor market, the price of gas and electricity, packaging costs and freight costs.

Jon Monahan: Labor, predominantly. Lack of qualified individuals and quantity of applicants.

What impact or ramifications has any of the above had on your customers?

Andrew McIlroy: Everyone has had to raise their prices to pass the additional cost down the supply chain. Due to the frequency and number of increases for polymer, this has led to severe uncertainty and the need to recost almost everything — a highly unusual situation. Product shortage also caused an element of ‘panic buying’, which extenuated the problem, increasing stocks and lead times.

Jon Monahan: Our customers are experiencing the same strains as us, as our inputs are not much different.

Enrique Mejia: Price adjustments in our products have been, unfortunately, a must.

Are there any problems in meeting your customers’ needs?

Enrique Mejia: No problems, because we have been very cautious with inventories and with alternative raw material sources.

—Enrique Mejia

Andrew McIlroy: There were problems, but currently our lead times are more or less back to normal. Demand has fallen and people are partially still working through pre-ordered inventory from last year.

Jon Monahan: No current issues as lead times have fallen along with demand, but this is a seasonal phenomenon.

For brush making, how would you approximate the market share of synthetic filaments vs natural fibers?

Andrew McIlroy: This depends entirely on the type of brush and end application. For technical brushes, the percentage of synthetic filaments versus natural fiber is very high, due to the fact that natural fiber and animal hair cannot meet the quality standard required by most technical brushes. For various reasons, the overall percentage of natural fiber continues to decline, but there will always be a market for this for certain applications. This will continue to develop in favor of synthetic due to better availability, more stable pricing generally, unaffected by exchange rate variations, cleaner and easier processing, and consistency of quality.

Enrique Mejia: We are not in the natural fibers market. Our guess is that the synthetics proportion keeps growing to more than 80% of the market.

Jon Monahan: 80/20 is an estimate.

Can you comment on why synthetic filaments have increasingly become the predominant choice for brush manufacturers?

Jon Monahan: They are normally the right choice given the combination of price, manufacturability and performance. However, natural fibers perform better in certain niches and won’t disappear.

Andrew McIlroy: Again, this is application-specific, but synthetic filaments in their different forms can be far better tailored to an application. With natural hair or fiber, you get what nature provides.

Enrique Mejia: Natural fibers require a lot of labor and there is a limited availability. Tampico fiber is really appreciated by certain markets but, I think, that is an isolated case.

What are the advantages of synthetic filaments?

Andrew McIlroy: Wide polymer range offering different technical properties which can be tailored to any application. Can be ordered in a specific diameter and length. Functional additives to improve performance. Food approved (FDA). Tailored packaging configurations to suit all brush machinery types. Repeatable quality each time.

RESIN DISPENSING LINE WITH HANDLE ASSEMBLING AND CURING TUNNEL ÒTPP-HÓ

PAINT BRUSH HEAD ASSEMBLING MACHINE ÒTPB3Ó

MIXING MACHINE FOR BRISTLES AND FILAMENTS ÒM6ALÓ

THE BRUSH INDUSTRY

OVER 65 YEARS SERVICING THE BRUSH INDUSTRY

Enrique Mejia: Consistent properties and dimensions. No problems with toxicity and cleaning requirements. Available in a wide range of materials, colors, shapes, etc.

Jon Monahan: Uniformity, bend recovery, abrasion resistance and useful life. The latter also being a potential drawback when considering environmental concerns.

What are the primary brush segments using your filaments?

Enrique Mejia: Toothbrushes, cosmetic brushes and all types of industrial brushes.

Jon Monahan: Our fiber is used in most categories of brushes — staple set, strip, fused, epoxy, etc.

Andrew McIlroy: Our main focus is the technical/industrial brush market — for strip brushes, tufted brushes, roller brushes and twisted-in-wire brushes — used in a multitude of end applications.

Do you have any synthetic filament innovations for brush making in development that you wish to disclose?

Andrew McIlroy: We have new sustainable options made from bio-based polymers in our range — we fully expect the demand for these products to grow significantly in the future.

Enrique Mejia: We have several projects for major multinational customers that we cannot disclose.

Jon Monahan: We have focused on fibers that will perform at elevated temperatures at a lower cost than current incumbent fibers. Sustainable materials are another focus area. There is now market pressure to produce these materials more economically and research into improving properties.

Beyond providing synthetic filaments for the brush industry are there other applications where your filaments are used?

Enrique Mejia: Music strings. 3D printing filaments. Jewelry.

Jon Monahan: There are non-brush applications where our fiber is used as a filler or reinforcement.

Andrew McIlroy: The other main part of our business is in the field of technical textiles — spooled monofilament which is processed into technical fabrics generally — and used in the paper industry, filtration, automotive, agriculture as well as products for consumer applications such as fishing line and tennis racket string.

Manufacturing Indexes Across the World Slip in March

Indian manufacturers buck the trend and push up to a 56.4 percent PMI reading

The ISM® US Manufacturing PMI® was reported at 46.3 percent for March, 1.4 percentage points lower than the 47.7 percent figure from February. For the overall US economy, the figure indicates a fourth month of contraction after a 30-month period of expansion. The reading is at its lowest level since May 2020 when it registered 43.5 percent.

“New order rates remain sluggish as panelists become more concerned about when manufacturing growth will resume,” says Timothy R. Fiore, Chair of the ISM® Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. “Supply chains are now ready for growth, as panelists’ comments support reduced lead times for their more important purchases. Price instability remains, but future demand is uncertain as companies continue to work down overdue deliveries and backlogs. Seventy percent of manufacturing gross domestic product (GDP) is contracting, down from 82 percent in February. However, more industries contracted strongly.”

The report goes on to say survey panelists reported softening new order rates over the previous 10 months. The March composite index reading indicates firms are continuing to slow outputs to better match demand for the first half of 2023 and prepare for growth in the late summer/early fall period. Notably, demand eased with the new orders index contracting at a faster rate and the new export orders index still registering below 50 percent.

Additionally, the customers’ inventories index is now entering the high end of a ‘just right’ level, which could be a negative for future production.

The employment index contracted after two months of marginal expansion, and the production index logged a fourth month in contraction territory, though at a slightly lower rate. Panelists’ comments now indicate equal levels of activity toward expanding and contracting head counts at their companies, amid mixed sentiment about the return of growth early in the second half of the year.

US SECTOR REPORT

ISM® GROWTH SECTORS (6): Printing and Related Support Activities; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Petroleum and Coal Products; Primary Metals and Machinery.

ISM® CONTRACTION SECTORS (12): Furniture and Related Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Textile Mills; Plastics and Rubber Products; Paper Products; Wood Products; Food, Beverage and Tobacco Products; Apparel, Leather and Allied Products; Chemical Products; Computer and Electronic Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances and Components and Transportation Equipment.

ISM® MANUFACTURING AT A GLANCE (US)

MARCH 2023

ISM® REPORT COMMENTS (US Manufacturers)

“Sales a bit down, and budgets being cut with a greater emphasis on savings.”

Chemical Products

“Overall, business continues to remain strong. We are still experiencing supply chain issues on several indirect supplies.”

Primary Metals

“Business is doing generally well, with input costs falling in some areas and rising in others.”

Food, Beverage and Tobacco Products

“Overall, things feel more stable in the first quarter of 2023 than they did throughout 2021-22. Customer demand is — as expected — growing well, and the overall supply environment is far better than in the previous two years. This is not to say there are no challenges; there absolutely are. However, there are fewer issues cropping up each week, and supply challenges are generally more like the ‘typical’ issues we experienced before the pandemic. We are closely monitoring the global banking situation, but no impacts have been experienced or are expected at this time. Ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China are another issue to watch.”

Miscellaneous Manufacturing

“Orders and production are fairly flat month over month. Lead times have stabilized in most areas, so looking at reducing commitments on new orders, except for a few strategic electronic buys with lead times that are still too long.”

Computer and Electronic Products

“Sales are slowing at an increasing rate, which is allowing us to burn through back orders at a faster-than-expected pace.”

Transportation Equipment

“Lead times are still improving, but prices continue to face inflationary pressures. Prices of steel and steel products are going up some. Hydraulic components are still facing extended lead times. We are increasing inventory levels of imports due to global uncertainty from the ongoing war in Ukraine and threats from China.”

Machinery

GLOBAL MANUFACTURING

EUROPE: The S&P Global Eurozone Manufacturing PMI was reported at 47.3 percent for March 2023, down 1.2 percent from February. Shortened delivery times and the 11th straight month of declining factory orders led to the dropoff for March. On the upside, production and employment levels improved while input prices saw the first decrease in three years. That helped output prices achieve a 26-month low.

CHINA: After surging to 51.6 percent in February, the Caixin China General Manufacturing PMI surprised analysts by falling to 50.0 percent for March. Output and new orders improved, but exports and employment both decreased. However, improved supplier capacity and stock availability brought improvement to the supply chain. Selling prices decreased slightly as companies looked to remain competitive in the market. The business outlook was positive, but the lower reading for the month likely points to concerns about the strength of the recovery in China.

GERMANY: The S&P Global/BME Germany Manufacturing PMI dropped sharply in March to register a 44.7 percent reading for March. That was off 1.6 percent from the February figure of 46.3 percent. Low consumer confidence stifled demand, while increased interest rates and inventory reduction strategies also factored in to bring down the index. On the upside, output moved up thanks to the increased availability of components and materials. Supplier performance also improved and input costs decreased as raw material and shipping costs fell in addition to energy prices. Still, the business outlook was pessimistic.

INDIA: The S&P Global India Manufacturing PMI surged again to reach 56.4 percent for March. Output shot up and new order growth reached a three-month high. Export sales and purchases also pushed up to help the cause. Additionally, Indian firms saw improved delivery times and inflation stayed in check for inputs. Output prices rose at the same rate as in February. Despite all of the positive signs, employment was flat and business optimism saw a decrease based on global economic concerns and general inflation.

ITALY: The S&P Global Italy Manufacturing PMI decreased to 51.1 percent for March after pushing up to 52 percent in February. Factory output saw growth based on new orders and the clearing of backlogs. However, highinterest rates and the worldwide economic picture likely led to the lower reading for the month. Companies cut purchasing as a cautionary measure, but employment saw growth and lower input prices led to lower output pricing. The business outlook was positive.

UNITED KINGDOM: The S&P Global/CIPS UK Manufacturing PMI was reported at 47.9 percent for March — a step back from February's sevenmonth high of 49.3 percent. The figure represented an eighth consecutive month below the 50-percent contraction level for UK manufacturing. Low overall demand, declining export orders and inventory reduction all factored into the reading. New business saw a small increase due to a bump in domestic purchasing. Input costs were down, while output charges saw an increase. Employment fell, but business confidence was up for the country's manufacturing firms.

Credits: Institute for Supply Management®, PMI® (Purchasing Managers' Index), Report On Business®. For more information, visit the ISM® website at www.ismworld.org.

GERMANY

36

65

60

55

50

45

40

ITALY

55

50

45

40

35

Source data: S&P Global MANUFACTURING PMI 36 MONTHS | MOVING AVERAGE: SIX MONTHS 30

70 25

30

70

60

55

50

45

40

35

65

60

55

50

45

40

35

60 30

65 30

U.S. COTTON #2 FUTURES

2018-CURRENT | Moving Average: 12 Months

COPPER

2018-CURRENT | Moving Average: 12 Months

LUMBER FUTURES

2018-CURRENT | Moving Average: 12 Months

2018-CURRENT | Moving Average: 12 Months

economic DASHBOARD

CRUDE OIL WTI FUTURES

2018-CURRENT | Moving Average: 12 Months

NATURAL GAS FUTURES (NGH3)

2018-CURRENT | Moving Average: 12 Months

◻ Over 100 years experience in the field of brush and broom machines

May 9-11, 2023

Interwire | Atlanta, Georgia

INTERWIRE will bring you back to the future of wire making with an Industry 4.0 theme. Learn how automation, AI, robotics and analytics impact wire manufacturing. www.interwire23.com

May 25–27, 2023

2nd Edition INBRUSH 2023

Chennai Trade Centre | Chennai, India

India’s only B2B event where brush manufacturers, brush-making machinery suppliers, raw material and component suppliers all can showcase their product range and services to a focused B2B audience. www.indiabrushexpo.com

September 13-15, 2023

CIBRUSH | Shenzhen World, China

China International Brush Making Industry Exhibition (CIBRUSH) is a national exhibition for the brush industry and is held in Shanghai and Shenzhen every two years. www.cibrush.com

September 20-23, 2023

63rd FEIBP Annual Congress | Belfast, Northern Ireland

The Annual Congress of the European Brushware Federation is a great opportunity to meet fellow manufacturers, contact suppliers and receive up-to-date information on the brush industry in Europe. www.eurobrush.com

October 17-19, 2023

ISSA Show North America | Las Vegas, Nevada

Staying up to date on the latest trends and solutions for cleaning, disinfection and infection prevention and pursuing accreditation, training and certification helps us further evolve the industry and change the way the world views cleaning. www.issashow.com

October 18-20, 2023

Interclean China | Chongqing, China

Interclean China is the international trade show in China for cleaning and hygiene. The exhibition serves as the meeting place for market leaders within the Asian cleaning sector. The show focuses on products and services within the cleaning technology supply chain. www.intercleanshow.com/china

November 21-22, 2023

National Painting and Decorating Show | Coventry, UK

The National Painting and Decorating Show is the industry’s biggest annual U.K. event held at Ricoh Arena. If you use, sell or stock P&D products, you can’t miss this one. www.paintshow.co.uk

March 19-22, 2024

ABMA Annual Convention | Amelia Island, Florida

The American Brush Manufacturer Association’s 107th Annual Convention will be held at the Omni Resort, Amelia Island, near Jacksonville, Florida. www.abma.org/convention/

March 21-25, 2024

Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna | Bologna, Italy

As the most influential global event dedicated to all facets of the beauty industry, Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna has been a landmark event for more than 50 years. www.cosmoprof.com

March 25-27, 2024

Creativation by Namta | New Orleans, Lousiana

Creativation by Namta is an Industry Trade Show for Artist and Craft Materials. www.namta.org/creativation-by-namta

March 26-28, 2024

National Hardware Show | Las Vegas, Nevada

The National Hardware Show is the most comprehensive event, education and networking platform serving the hardware and home improvement industries. www.nationalhardwareshow.com May 14-17, 2024

May 14-17, 2024

Interclean Amsterdam | Amsterdam, The Netherlands

From May 14-17, 2024, RAI Amsterdam will turn into the capital of cleaning and hygiene. Join us for a four-day journey of forward-thinking, doing business with leading manufacturers and meeting industry professionals from all over the world. www.intercleanshow.com/amsterdam

May 22-24, 2024

World Brush Expo | Bologna, Italy

New expo set to launch in 2024 to serve the brush, broom, mop and paint applicator industry. The event is being held as a joint effort of the American Brush Manufacturers Association and the European Brush Federation. www.worldbrushexpo.com

January 27-30, 2024

Creativeworld | Frankfurt, Germany

Creativeworld is the world’s most important trade fair for the international hobby, craft and artists’ supplies sector and an inspiring treasure chest for the creative community. www.creativeworld.messefrankfurt.com

March 3-5, 2024

IBS New York | New York, New York

See and test the quality of beauty products before making a purchasing decision at the International Beauty Show in New York. www.ibsnewyork.com

March 3-6, 2024

EISENWARENMESSE 2024 | Cologne, Germany

The International Hardware Fair boasts approximately 1,400 exhibitors from 50 countries. The spectrum of products ranges from tools and accessories to fasteners and fixings all the way through to fittings and building and DIY supplies. www.eisenwarenmesse.com

March 16-19, 2024

The Inspired Home Show | Chicago, Illinois

Over 52,000 home and housewares professionals from more than 130 countries converge in Chicago for the Show. www.theinspiredhomeshow.com

BRUSHWARE MARKETPLACE

FOR SALE

2 Plastic Injection Moulds

2 plastic injection moulds with MSM 30 ton moving head press. Includes assembly machine to manufacture 2 sizes of pot scrubbers in picture. $50,000 USD or Best Offer

CONTACT: Gemicor Products Inc. Montreal Canada

PHONE: 514-747-9856

WHATSAPP: 514-445-9725

EMAIL: gemicor@Qc.aira.com

3 Plastic Injection Moulds and Assembly Machine

15 Gauge Wire for Street Brooms

Wright-Bernet Brush Company is offering a brand new drum of 15 gauge wire for street brooms. The asking price is $500 plus shipping and Wright-Bernet is based in Hamilton, Ohio.

CONTACT: James Cox

PHONE: 513-889-0500

EMAIL: Jimnwestern1@aol.com

Complete Automated Broom, Brush, Mop Handle Manufacturing Equipment

3 plastic injection moulds and assembly machine for the manufacture of 3 styles of dish mops in picture. $50,000 USD or Best Offer

CONTACT: Gemicor Products Inc. Montreal Canada

PHONE: 514-747-9856

WHATSAPP: 514-445-9725

EMAIL: gemicor@Qc.aira.com

SALE CONSISTS OF; Hopper Fed: SCMI 6 head Molding machine capable of turning multiple dowels from boards, Hawker Dowel turning machine, Double belt Nash Sanding machine, Automatic Hawker Tennon/Thread/Taper/Doming machine, UV Coating Machine and Ancillary equipment for Crimping Die Cast Extension Thread (both round and hex die cast) as well as Drilling and Riveting machines for mop hardware. Videos of machine operation are available. Call or email for pricing.

CONTACT: Hardwood Flooring USA

PHONE: 845-551-1433

EMAIL: hardwoodflooringUSA@gmail.com

GET YOUR CLASSIFIED SPACE

Single classified ads are available to subscribers or advertisers of Brushware; note that only listings of merchandise/machinery wanted or for sale (used), and job opportunities, are acceptable. Classified ads include a headline (10-word) limit, description (100-word limit), one image (photo or logo) and contact detail fields (phone, email, etc.). Additional images are charged at a rate of $95 per image to be printed in the magazine. Brushware reserves the right of refusal for publication. Classified ads will appear in the weekly newsletter for eight issues.

Fill out your request form at: www.brushwaremag.com/classifieds

CONTACT: Susan Goodwin

EMAIL: info.brushware@goodwinworldmedia.com

OSMAS Filling Machine Model A2E-90-FM610

Used Carlson Machines For Sale

OSMAS Filling Machine Model A2E-90-FM610. Set up for different styles of Snow Brushes in picture. Includes 9 moulds for all plastic injection parts Stapling and Rivet machines included. $100,000 USD or Best Offer

CONTACT: Gemicor Products Inc. Montreal Canada

PHONE: 514-747-9856

WHATSAPP: 514-445-9725

EMAIL: gemicor@Qc.aira.com

Schlesinger AM-1 Push Broom and Brush Trimmer

Schlesinger AM-1 push broom and brush trimmer. $1,000 USD or Best Offer

CONTACT: Gemicor Products Inc. Montreal Canada

PHONE: 514-747-9856

WHATSAPP: 514-445-9725

EMAIL: gemicor@Qc.aira.com

Looking for a cost-effective, efficient way to produce high-quality brushes? These machines are designed to create brushes of all shapes, sizes and materials — perfect for a wide range of applications. With user-friendly controls and robust construction, these machines are built to last and will help you create brushes that meet exact specifications. Whether you’re a small business owner or a large manufacturer, these machines are the perfect solution for your brush-making needs. Original touch screen doesn’t work-we added a normal monitor. $25,000 for the CNC and $15,000 for the Cam version. Freight costs are on the purchaser.

CONTACT: Decker Manufacturing Company

PHONE: 800-541-1107

EMAIL: tony@deckermfg.com