On this episode of Seen & Solved, host Tim Pennington is joined by Jason Potts — better known as the Finishing Fixer — to break down a real-world challenge inside a powder coating operation. The customer was running a line at twice the normal speed, stuck with a cleaner that only worked with constant boosters, and dealing with lead times that dragged on for months.Jason explains how he and the Hubbard-Hall team dug into the process, checked the line setup, and used their pilot line and lab to test every option. The result was the development of AquaEase PL 930, a one-and-done cleaner that kept the line running fast, eliminated boosters, shortened lead times, and won the confidence of the customer.

PFAS continues to be one of the most pressing issues for the finishing industry, and the pressure is not going away. In this episode of Seen and Solved, host Tim Pennington speaks with Robin Deal of Hubbard-Hall about what finishers need to know now. They examine how the EPA’s current priorities place metal finishing squarely in the spotlight, why the industry’s decades-long history with PFAS matters today, and how regulations are likely to evolve in the coming years.Robin shares findings from Hubbard-Hall’s nationwide testing of hexavalent chrome plating facilities and anodizing shops, identifying 11 PFAS compounds that consistently appear in wastewater. She explains how the team evaluated various treatment methods, from hydroxide precipitation to microfiltration, carbon filtration, and evaporation, and why carbon filtration emerged as the most practical near-term option for significant PFAS reduction.The discussion also explores forward-looking research into ways to destroy PFAS entirely, from advanced oxidation and UV light to ultrasonic degradation, ball milling, and thrombotic agglomeration. For finishers, this conversation offers both a reality check on the current regulatory landscape and a hopeful look at emerging technologies that could reshape the future of wastewater management.

In this episode of Seen and Solved, host Tim Pennington talks with Erik Sarlund, Hubbard-Hall’s pretreatment expert, about why Phos & Clean is showing up in more tanks and earning a reputation for performance.Phos & Clean isn’t just a single product—it’s a complete line of one-step cleaner coaters built to save time, reduce waste, and keep quality high. Erik shares where it’s being used most effectively, from automotive to marine applications, how it handles challenging mixed metals like steel and aluminum, and why it’s often the perfect fit for facilities with smaller footprints or those replacing multi-stage systems.You’ll also hear a real-world success story from a marine manufacturer who needed a process tough enough to pass 2,000-hour salt spray tests—even after bending powder-coated aluminum rails.If you’re looking for a way to simplify pretreatment without compromising results, this conversation is worth your time.

What does modern marketing look like inside a 175-year-old chemical company? In this episode of Beyond the Brand, Shelley Lusas, Marketing Director at Hubbard-Hall, shares how a lean team is making a big impact – blending bold creative ideas, consistent strategy, and the smart use of AI to stay ahead.Shelley walks through how every campaign is built around three clear goals: brand awareness, lead generation, and competitive advantage. She talks about what it takes to build trust with internal and external partners, the importance of clarity across more than 500 chemistries, and how the team is helping customers achieve better results with less chemistry—online, on the show floor, and tank side.You’ll hear the story behind a standout branding campaign involving rubber ducks, a last-minute logo refresh tied to the company’s 175th anniversary, and how Hubbard-Hall is optimizing its presence in a world where visibility in AI search is just as important as SEO once was.This episode is a look at how thoughtful strategy and a creative mindset can reshape the way people think about industrial marketing—without losing sight of what matters most.

In this episode of Seen & Solved, host Tim Pennington sits down with Scott Papst, Senior Vice President of Specialty Sales and Business Development at Hubbard-Hall, to tackle an issue that's hitting finishing shops across the country: the decline in supplier support. As consolidation reshapes the metal finishing and surface treatment industry, many shops are feeling the strain of reduced service, slower response times, and less hands-on expertise.Scott explains why traditional supplier relationships are shifting, what shops can do to navigate these changes, and how Hubbard-Hall is taking a different approach—investing in customer support, remote monitoring, and digital tools like an AI knowledge base to deliver faster, more consistent answers. He also shares how Hubbard-Hall is helping finishers use less chemistry while still achieving better results.Whether you're a plating shop owner, wastewater treatment manager, or operations lead, this conversation covers what you need to know about staying competitive in a consolidating supply chain. Learn how proactive partnerships, transparent service models, and smarter monitoring technology can keep your shop compliant, efficient, and profitable.

What does Lean really mean—and how can it create measurable value for you as the customer?In this episode of Seen and Solved, host Tim Pennington sits down with Hubbard-Hall's COO Aaron Mambrino and Lean consultant Bill Greider to go behind the chemistry and explore how Lean thinking is reshaping operations at every level of the company. Lean isn’t about doing more with less or checking boxes—it’s about empowering employees to identify pain points, eliminate waste, and focus on what matters most with precision, consistency, and purpose.Why should customers care? Because this Lean transformation is already improving Hubbard-Hall’s on-time shipments, streamlining how your products get to you faster, and ensuring fewer headaches on your end. You’ll hear how 50 improvements in just a few months are making real differences, how cross-functional teams are solving issues before they become problems, and how respect for people is at the heart of driving better performance.If you're a manufacturer who wants a partner that’s continuously improving—not just saying they are—this episode is worth your time.Lean isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a customer-first mindset.Better processes. Faster delivery. Employee-driven change.

In this episode of Seen & Solved, host Tim Pennington sits down with the Customer Experience Team at Hubbard-Hall to explore the core values and everyday practices that drive their exceptional customer experience. From coordinating across four different locations to maintaining transparent communication and building long-term relationships, the team shares how consistency, empathy, and empowerment help them meet customer needs with precision and care. They dive into how partnerships—not just transactions—define success and reveal what really goes on behind the scenes to ensure fast, flexible, and reliable service. Whether it’s managing urgent orders or delivering tough news with honesty, this episode offers an insightful look at the heart and hustle behind outstanding B2B customer service.

In this episode of Seen & Solved, we dive into aphosphate showdown between two industry-leading surface treatment solutions:the Z-1500 and TCJ-50. Host Tim Pennington is joined by Hubbard-Hall veteransKevin O’Brien and Erik Surland for a head-to-head comparison of theselow-sludge, high-performance phosphates.Kevin and Erik break down the chemistry, coating weights,and cost-saving impacts these products bring to automotive fasteners andbeyond, from development history to line trials. They share real-world wins,discuss the myth of no-phosphate alternatives, and even reveal the origin ofthe “TCJ” name—The Crown Jewel.This episode is packed with shop-floor strategy and deeptechnical know-how for anyone looking to boost productivity, reduce linedowntime, or nerd out on phosphate chemistry. Whether you’re team Z-1500 orTCJ-50, there’s one clear winner: better performance with less sludge.

In this episode of Seen and Solved, host Tim Pennington talks with two of the people who help keep things moving behind the scenes: Tim Large, Plant Manager in South Carolina, and Mike Kohlberg, Warehouse Supervisor in Connecticut. Together, they bring more than 30 years of experience managing inventory, quality, and delivery with consistency and care.Hear how they approach planning, communication, and continuous improvement—and how those efforts directly impact customers. Lean thinking, barcoding systems, and real-time coordination help keep quality high and lead times low. From making sure chemistry is in stock and in spec, to finding smarter ways to ship and store materials, this episode is all about the everyday decisions that help keep manufacturers up and running.This is the part of chemistry you don’t always see — but always count on.

In this episode of Seen & Solved, host Tim Pennington is joined by Hubbard-Hall’s Robin Deal and Jeremy Morgan to break down a high-stakes wastewater treatment challenge faced by a major automotive manufacturer. The facility was struggling to manage a heavily chelated spent acid pickle bath that was costing $30,000 a month to treat and taking 30 days per cycle. With corporate pushing for more sustainable, in-house solutions as part of a new water recycling initiative, the customer turned to Hubbard-Hall to help meet a bold target: cut treatment time to under 7 days and slash monthly costs to less than $10,000.Robin and Jeremy walk us through how they tackled this tough chemistry—from treatability studies and lab testing to a custom dual coagulant solution that improved performance and sludge handling. The result? A cleaner effluent, more efficient filter press cycles, and dramatically reduced time and cost. This episode offers practical insights into balancing chemistry, cost, and sustainability—and shows what’s possible when expertise meets innovation on the plant floor.