Paul N. Gardner Company

IFT in The Big Easy

2011-06-23T11:54:00.002-04:00

It was another great year at the IFT AnnualMeeting and Food Expo! Located this year at the New Orleans Convention Center,this show provided the opportunity for food professionals from countries aroundthe world to join together to hear about the latest food science and technologydevelopments, learn about the newest products and trends, and of course enjoythe unique culture and cuisine that Naw’lins (New Orleans :) had to offer. We didjust that, see pics below for proof. Even in the hot and humid 99-degree weather,the show had a huge turnout, a total of 15,156 - both registrants andexhibitors.

It was the first time at the IFTExpo for one of our team members and as she explained, “Between seeing thepassion of the “foodies”, meeting famous chef John Besh, and enjoying the funactivities at the show such as taking a quick test and becoming a certified‘FOOD GEEK’ with an official badge, the show was a super success!”

Amongst conveniently skipping lunch to walk throughthe show and fill up on tasty treats offered at nearby booths :), we were also ableto take advantage of the updated IFT app for smart phones. It was a definite benefit for both attendeesand exhibitors. There was loads of information at the tap and swipe of a fingertip. It had alerts to tell us of events, a place to vote for the best new product atthe show, a feature to help us keep track of who we wanted to visit and wherethey were on the show floor - it even had a schedule so we could organize ourtime better. We are definitely living in the technology age!

Aus Deutschland Zurück - ( Back From Germany ;)

2011-04-27T15:56:00.000-04:00

We’re back from the European Coatings Show, which was held in Nuremberg Germany, and it was one of the largest coating shows that we have attended. This year they had 887 exhibitors from 45 different countries and welcomed more than 26,000 visitors from around the globe. Wow!! In addition to those high numbers, there was more than 30,000 meters² of exhibition floor used, setting a new record in floor size. There were 150 feature presentations attended by more than 650 participants… and I could go on, phew, now that’s a BIG trade show! This year we had customers from Russia, India, Japan and France stop by our booth to say, “Hello” and our technical sales representative James also had a chance to visit with some of our suppliers, located outside of the U.S., such as; TQC, Fibro Systems, Rhopoint, Zehntner, Fisher and Byk.

The ECS is truly a global world-class show that caters to the coating community. It gives us the opportunity to develop relationships with new customers and solidify our presence with the international community. It also provides us with an excellent venue to meet with our European suppliers and develop new channels of business interest.

Web-iversary (15th Anniversary on the Web)

2011-03-29T09:48:00.000-04:00

This June we will celebrate 15 years on the World Wide Web… and, boy oh boy, have things changed! :) When we first put up our website back in 1996 it was more about having an advantage in the industry and not so much of a necessity, but nowadays those tables have turned. Fifteen years ago most of our business was generated through our extensive and thorough catalog. Though the catalogs can still be a useful tool we have acknowledged the desire among consumers to surf the web to find new products, comparison deals, and to make purchases.

We began our site with only about 8 products and currently we have over 1000 - whoa quite a difference! We have been able to provide greater amounts of information that no “conveniently” sized book could carry and we can consistently keep it updated, it’s a win-win situation for our customers. As we look back at webpage’s past, take a trip down memory lane with us and check out how gardco.com has grown over the years…

Protective Coatings In Las Vegas

2011-02-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

We are back from the 2011 SSPC Show held in the warm and sunny Las Vegas Nevada… well, “sunny” maybe, but not so much the “warm” part. The temperature there ranged from mid 30’s to the 50’s, which for a Floridian is right about freezing. The weather was definitely a factor on the event’s turn-out, due to the snowstorm in Texas and the northeast, attendance was down. It might have also been because it was the first year the SSPC show was not paired up with its usual partner, the Decorators Showcase. If you are not familiar with the SSPC show, it is the only non-profit association that is focused on the protection and preservation of concrete, steel and other industrial and marine structures and surfaces through the use of high-performance industrial coatings.

This year there seemed to be quite a bit of interest in instruments that would read dry film thickness, non-destructive, on non metal substrates and also a coating thickness meter that would work on concrete. Of course accurate measurements can be tricky with concrete because it’s generally not a “flat/smooth” surface and averaging the measurements is about the only way to get an acceptable number. Thus, this subject causes a great debate (maybe we will leave that for our next blog? :).

Gardco, Food, and Transformers!!

2010-07-27T14:59:00.008-04:00

We are back from the IFT Food Expo, the largest annual food science forum and exposition in the world. It has been considered one of the most important events held for professionals involved in food science and technology. We have participated at this event, as exhibitors and sponsors, since 2005. You may be asking, “Hey Paul Gardner Company, why are you at a Food Expo, aren’t you mainly involved in the Paint and Coatings industry”. Yes, in fact we started in 1936 with our focus on paint and coatings testing, but today we carry numerous items that can be used in a multitude of industries. For the food industry, for example, we provide such items as the CT3 Texture Analyzer, the Grain Moisture Meter and even our own manufactured Viscosity Cups and Weight Per Gallon Cups fulfill specific food testing needs.

The IFT Food Expo had a spectacular turnout this year, 22,000 in attendance and many of them international visitors. Though the heavy traffic at our booth was appreciated, it was a different story outside. A segment of Michigan Avenue was closed down due to the filming of the Transformers 3 movie. That’s right folks – we not only enjoyed a great Expo but we also experienced live street entertainment… jealous?! Don’t be, we have included some pics so you can feel a little part of the action! See the photograph with the car hanging off the bridge - boy was that a rough morning for us, we told our cab driver to get us to the Convention Center by 8am no matter what and he sure did. Yikes! Kidding of course :), it’s from the movie shoot.

This was the first year the show was combined with the Process Expo 10, a food Processing & Packaging Show, which happened to be located right across from the IFT show entrance. Vendors and guests could benefit from the best of both worlds. Several college students came out to be a part of these two large events. All in all it was a successful expo, you simply can’t lose when you mix beautiful Chicago weather with a Hollywood movie set on the street in front of you, delicious food and great show attendance.

Even Coating Industry Heroes want a pic with GARDCO Employees

2010-04-26T12:40:00.006-04:00

Well, we are back from Charlotte NC, and boy was it a great turn out at the American Coatings Show! There were a whopping 6,700 attendees and 328 exhibitors at the Charlotte Convention Center including even those who were visiting from other countries.

The show was upbeat and positive. We had many guests come by our booth just to enjoy a hands-on experience with the unique instruments we had on display. While our PowerPoint movie entertained people in close proximity, we chatted with old and new friends, demonstrated products, and distributed free literature of items we carry specifically for the paint and coatings industry. All in all it was a successful show.

American Coatings Show Around the Corner!

2010-03-17T12:31:00.000-04:00

In our last blog we told you about the PACE Show we would be exhibiting at in February. It has come and gone, and though attendance was down due in part to the weather conditions affecting the Eastern US, we were able to accomplish some great things like getting together with some of our current vendors while also diversifying into new markets and of course, meeting potential new customers.

Are you feeling a little disappointed now because you couldn’t make it? Well, don’t – there is another opportunity for us to meet and greet at our booth # 1641 at the American Coatings Show April 13th-15th 2010, in Charlotte, NC. Though this lovely location alone should entice you to come, we have an even better offer. You can register right now on our website to be an attendee at this show for FREE, just visit http://www.gardco.com/news.cfm and click on the AC Show logo to fill out the registration form. Yeah, it’s that simple. Now we should probably take a little time to tell you about the American Coatings Show and give you a reason to come see us there, which is sort of the point of this blog today. :)

So, the American Coatings Show is a unique conference for the paint and coatings industry that happens every other year. It is jointly hosted by the American Coatings Association and Vincentz Network, and is promising to be 2010’s most exciting event for coatings experts from all over the United States and beyond. Here are just a few things to look forward to…

Being a part of a forum of those involved in the coatings community (including an international audience)
Be inspired by upcoming trade trends and new information on introducing eco-friendly products from the best in the industry
Connect with potential buyers, create new alliances and strengthen existing relationships through one-on-one communication.

Sounds pretty convincing so far, right? Well, sure, but all the “fancy persuasion talk” aside we would mostly just love the chance to meet you personally so we can share with you some of our exciting new products and answer any questions you may have, face to face, rather than just through computer, phone or print.

GARDCO at PACE!

2010-01-26T16:11:00.005-05:00

Attending the PACE show this year? We are! We have been an exhibitor at the Paint and Coatings Exposition since 2005, and this year’s “2010” show represents the 6th year for PACE.

You may be asking, “What is the PACE show?” Well, the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) and SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings come together to present an exhibitor showcase called PACE 2010, taking place February 7-10th, 2010 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Here you will find 300+ exhibits of innovative products, tools and technology.

At this point you may be thinking “What kind of industries is this intended for?” or “Would this be something I should consider”…Wow, you are just full of questions, :) but they are good ones! Really anyone involved in the paint, coatings and decorating industry, wallcovering professionals; manufacturers; suppliers/vendors; residential; industrial; commercial contractors and business owners; engineering firms; consultants; architects; designers, inspection firms; steel fabricators, state, local and federal DOT; power companies; and anyone who’s in the business of getting business done would be a perfect attendee for this show. So that list pretty much counts you in! Now for those of you who knew the answers to these questions and were already planning on coming to the show, this blog should just be reiterating the fact that you should definitely stop by our booth so we can meet you!

Please come and see us at booth #407, where you can experience hands-on demonstrations, check out the new products we carry that you aren’t yet familiar with, and learn more about our company and how we serve your particular industry. It’s a new year with new challenges; let us help you meet some of them with our unique and extensive line of instruments.

Coming Soon!

2009-12-17T11:44:00.001-05:00