8 NEWS www.finishingmagazine.co.uk QUALICOAT UK & Ireland celebrates its 25 Year Anniversary Award winners The British Coatings Federation (BCF) were awarded the prestigious title of Best Trade Association of the Year at the <strong>2023</strong> Memcom Excellence Awards ceremony at the Hilton Bankside on Tuesday 26th September in front of over 500 delegates. The award was judged on various performance areas and was awarded to BCF based on their proven track record of outstanding member engagement and retention, demonstrating their commitment to their membership. BCF is delivering results through supply chain leadership in the UK, Europe and globally, all underpinned by a highly motivated, highperforming team that loves coming to work and going the extra mile for members, and stunning in-house marketing delivery. One of BCF’s other contributing winning factors was its significant investment and ambition in its major innovative sustainability project on paint recycling, PaintCare, as well as record-breaking financial results, aided by prudent governance to buy out its final salary pension scheme deficit in 2022. Tom Bowtell, CEO of the BCF, commented: ‘It’s five years since we were last recognised as the best Trade Association in the UK, and it’s fantastic to have achieved it again. I’m really proud of the team here at BCF and how they all go above and beyond expectations to support our industry. In the end, trade associations are about people, and I think that’s our key differentiator.’ Invest for success Almost half (47%) of those working in the UK metal industry say investing in upskilling is a priority for their business in the next 12 months, according to new research from SAIT Abrasives. The survey revealed that over the next year, more than half of businesses in the sector will be investing in ongoing training (53%) and just less than half will access direct training from suppliers (40%). Further to this, half of respondents (52%) said that their organisation provides enough training to help those entering the industry gain the skills they need to do the job efficiently, with almost two-fifths (37%) saying that their company employs apprentices. Despite this two in five (43%) did admit that they are concerned that the industry as a whole isn’t doing enough to train new people entering the workforce and half (51%) said their organisation could be doing more to overcome the skills gap. Chris Ingman, managing director at SAIT Abrasives, said: “Our research shows that there is a real divide between the industry in those that will be prioritising training and upskilling, and those who are concerned that the industry isn’t doing enough to overcome the skills gap.” In 1986 several national associations, encompassing powder coaters of architectural profiles, formed the QUALICOAT organisation. Their goal was to raise and standardise the quality of powder coating across Europe, laying down rules applying to their industry. Firms in many European countries have since directly or indirectly become members of QUALICOAT. The aluminium industry was represented by delegates on the committees from the outset. This ensured information sharing among wrought aluminium producers and coaters. Today QUALICOAT membership extends beyond Europe with associations in Australia and South Africa and producers of coating materials in Asia, America and Europe. Membership is open to all national associations of coaters, the European Aluminium Association and producers of paints, powders, dyes and chemical products. Following the growth of licenced applicators in the UK & Ireland the QUALICOAT UK & Ireland Association was set up in 1998 as a licensing body for the region to help further expand the QUALICOAT Technical Specification. QUALICOAT is a quality label organisation committed to maintaining and promoting the quality of lacquering, painting and coating on aluminium and its alloys for architectural applications. To determine whether or not a coating meets a customer's requirements, the results need to be measured against the Technical Specification. On behalf of customers who have products coated, QUALICOAT defines comprehensive quality requirements and monitors their compliance by licensed plants worldwide. As a result, purchasers of coated aluminium receive a premium-grade product delivering long-term value with good quality. Since its formation in 1986 QUALICOAT has made a great contribution in assuring the quality of aluminium products used in architecture. Most of the general licensees or national associations work together with a testing laboratory accredited according to EN 45001. These laboratories are bracketed together in the "QUALISURFAL Agreement Group" recognised by the European Organisation for conformity assessment (EOTC). In countries without a national association, QUALICOAT engages experienced inspectors to review the licensees' performance. Licensees who fail to meet the requirements of the Technical Specification can lose their licence. The latest editions of the Technical Specification is available from the Association website www.qualicoat.net In the UK and Ireland the Association are proud to support 25 licenced architectural powder coaters who service the majority of projects in the UK & Ireland through systems companies and their installers. In order to maintain the highest quality, the supply chain continues to be vertically integrated with a wide range of equipment manufacturers, powder suppliers and chemical pretreatment systems providers are also required to be licenced members of the Association with their products meeting the requirements of the Technical Specification. QUALICOAT UK & Ireland members will celebrate their achievement in reaching this milestone at their next meeting in <strong>November</strong>. <strong>Finishing</strong> – <strong>November</strong>/<strong>December</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
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