Hubbell Galvanizing: 2015

Friday, April 3, 2015

Planting the Seed of Galvanizing

By: Diane Mulvihill

April 3, 2015

Frank Gerace, marketing extraordinaire at Hubbell Galvanizing, is a force to be reckoned with.

Gerace helps Hubbell Galvanizing, and the entire galvanizing industry, by using his expertise in market development of galvanized products to encourage more customers to galvanize their steel projects as well as using powder coating and metalizing, which are all options offered through our company. A lot of Gerace’s time spent marketing is actually through education classes he presents on behalf of the American Galvanizers Association (AGA) called ‘Galvanize It!’ seminars.

Using his knowledge of galvanizing, Gerace leads the ‘Galvanize It!’ seminars that educate engineers, architects, students, manufacturers and many other people that want to learn about what galvanizing is and what it does. He has presented more seminars than any other member of the AGA, and his total number of presentations is still climbing.

Over the last weekend of March, Gerace drove to Kingston, Ontario to present to 80-85 students from Queen’s University. This presentation was out of the ordinary for him because he had the pleasure of presenting with another galvanizer, Godfroy St. Pierre, from Corbec, which is a galvanizing company based in Quebec, Canada. Gerace had asked him to present with him on account of the fact that St. Pierre is bilingual and a powerful presenter.

The students they were presenting to were juniors studying in the Civil Engineering Department and had never been exposed to what galvanizing was; Gerace feels that this was a positive because he and St. Pierre were able to “plant the seed early” about how galvanizing is a great option for engineers who are concerned with corrosion protection. The two of them presented on the core principles of hot dip galvanizing as well as how galvanizing is helpful when it comes to sustainable development.

“Overall, I think that the presentations went well. The two presenter technique worked well…I think the change of voice kept the program interesting. We both had different stories to tell and I think this was well received,” Gerace stated regarding how he thought the presentation was received as a whole. He said that he always enjoys presenting with other galvanizers, and co-presenting in this circumstance with St. Pierre was great, especially since he is Canadian and he could accommodate the French speaking students who were there for the lecture.

Gerace is a powerhouse of a presenter for the AGA because of his history as well as his knowledge. He gives presentations like the one in this article to hundreds of people per year, and he certainly is amazing at it. His knowledge of galvanizing, his honesty, and the aura he creates when presenting is catching when you listen to him speak about the process…it makes you want to learn more and to really listen to what he has to say.

If you’re interested in having Frank Gerace give a GalvanizeIt! presentation to your firm, company or class, contact him at geracefp@whyrust.com or call 315-796-2221 today.

For more information about Hubbell Galvanizing, please go to:

www.whyrust.com

For more information on the American Galvanizers Association(AGA), please go to:

www.galvanizeit.org

For more information about Corbec, Inc., please go to:

www.corbec.net

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Hubbell Galvanizing Goes to ThinkZinc! 2015

“Why is it shiny in some areas and dull gray in others?” Every year the American Galvanizers Association (AGA) hosts ThinkZinc--a three day seminar comprised of four specific classes in beautiful Denver, Colorado to help us answer questions like these.

The main objective of ThinkZinc is to increase our knowledge as galvanizers in order to help us effectively market the hot dip galvanizing process to architects, engineers and specifiers. The seminar this year had 41 participants from galvanizing companies all over the United States and Canada.

This year Hubbell Galvanizing elected Diane Mulvihill and Ali Semeraro to attend this year’s event as they are both relatively new to the company and had the most to gain from the experience. Primarily in the accounting department, Semeraro does not play a role in the galvanizing process itself. However, it is essential for everyone to have an understanding of production within the company.

“I have been exposed to this information gradually throughout the year and now I have to say that I feel more confident in my knowledge of the galvanizing process. I feel as though I can contribute that much more to my company by taking on new tasks and getting involved in other departments. I learned that I still have a lot to learn!" says, Semeraro.

Mulvihill, who is more familiar with the steel fabrication process, describes her experience as “...Very helpful. The presenters made the information easy to understand and presented that information in an interesting way while incorporating real-world examples and fun team activities to get all of us at the seminar excited about what we were doing and learning.”

Overall, the experience was a success. The information was presented in a comprehensive way by the AGA marketing director and other staff, which both girls understood and easily followed along with. Part of the curriculum included the participants studying three or more slides from the “Galvanizeit!” PowerPoint in order to present the information to the class as if they were giving the actual presentation. As a result of this experience, each participant is certified to give the entire presentation to groups to help spread the word of why galvanizing is the answer. The primary audience for these presentations includes architects and engineers, who in turn can choose galvanizing as corrosion protection for their projects.

Our most daunting task as galvanizers is combating the lack of understanding regarding what galvanizing actually is. What we can do is communicate how hot dip galvanizing can benefit any project as catholic corrosion protection for exposed structural steel, rebar and many other applications of steel. By educating as many individuals as possible about the process, we can effectively market our product and services as well as preserving America’s valuable natural resources.

If this has you "thinking zinc," please visit the AGA’s website to find out more!:

www.galvanizeit.org

For more information about what Hubbell Galvanizing has to offer, please visit:

www.whyrust.com

Monday, January 26, 2015

Galvagrit in Seattle: We’re Singing in the Rain, Not Slipping!

The Hubbell companies’ products have reached across to the other side of the country! Our Galvagrit can now be seen out in Seattle, Washington along the Seattle Seawall which is a job that ST Fabrication Inc. has been working on with Manson Construction Co. and Mortenson.

Galvagrit is a special product we offer at Hubbell Galvanizing that our customers order if they want an anti-slip surface coating on their product, which is very similar to Slip-NOT. Galvagrit comes in different slip-resistant grades that are available to keep people safe from any liquids that may be on the surface of a walk-way, ladder, staircase, or any other places that someone may be walking. Galvagrit meets or exceeds the OSHA, ADA, and ASTM requirements for slip resistance and coefficient of friction. It is also UL classified. Our Galvagrit can be custom applied to your project or we can supply you with stock sheets.

So, after you enjoy a ride on the Seattle Ferris Wheel, when you’re walking around on the pier you’ll know you’re safe because there will be Galvagrit there under your feet to keep you steady and not slip from all of the Washington rain and drizzle.

You know who to call if you can’t afford to slip—you need Galvagrit!