Surface World June 2019 Surface World June 2019 | Page 24

INDUSTRY NEWS
Indestructible Paint’s Graham Armstrong
celebrates a major milestone and looks
back on the last 50 years
The fashions and the
hairstyles may have
changed, but the principles
that underpin the surface
treatment and fi nishing
industry are as relevant today
as they were at the end of
the 1960’s. That is the view
of Indestructible Paint Ltd.’s
Sales and Technical Mentor,
Graham Armstrong, who has
now played an active and
leading role in the industry
for 50 years.
“Today, just as when I first started, the key
motivations are performance, efficiency and
now, more than ever before, environmental
awareness, with modern coating and
painting applications presenting ever greater
challenges,” he says. “For example, you only
have to look at how the aerospace industry
has evolved or the way in which product
development is driven by factors such as
chrome replacement and the requirements of
the REACH regulations to understand why the
coatings and surface treatment industry has
continually had to adapt.”
It has been an ongoing challenge which
Graham Armstrong is almost uniquely placed
to reflect upon. His role today at
Indestructible Paint – the Birmingham-based
coatings specialist that boasts a leading
reputation for its products and expertise
worldwide – is the culmination of almost two
decades at the company where he started in
2000 as Global Technical Sales Manager.
The 30 years prior to that saw him build
extensive experience in the industry in roles
that ranged from laboratory development
and technical services to product
management and marketing.
Graham Armstrong believes that one of the
most important developments that the
industry has seen over this time has been the
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JUNE 2019
gradual creation of key industry bodies and
standards and, by way of illustration,
highlights the Institute of Materials Finishing
(IMF). With over 500 individual members,
150 ‘sustaining’ member companies and a
vast pool of knowledge of the industry – its
role encompasses the past, present and,
most importantly, vital aims and
responsibilities in the future. Indeed,
Graham’s extensive experience has a direct
bearing on this scenario via his roles as
Secretary General, immediate past President
and Fellow of the Institute.
Graham Armstrong, Sales
and Technical Mentor at
Indestructible Paint Ltd.,
when he fi rst started in
the industry.
He adds that the work undertaken by the Oil
and Colour Chemists Association (OCCA)
and the Surface Engineering Leadership
Forum – of which he is Vice Chair – are
further important organisations that help to
develop the capabilities and standing of the
performance paint and coatings sector within
a large and growing number of user
industries both in the UK and internationally.
“It is almost impossible to over-state Graham’s
role in our industry over the last five decades or
the importance of his background to our own
ongoing success,” says Brian Norton, Managing
Director at Indestructible Paint, whose own father
Doug, proudly points to some 70 years of
ongoing involvement in the industry, from his
days as the company’s founder to his current
role as Chairman. “It has always been a
dynamic sector with changing customer needs,
so adaptation of coating systems has long been
central to the industry’s growth over the years.
Having the involvement of someone who has
been part of this process for so long is crucial
and I can only congratulate Graham for his
commitment and achievements.”
Graham Armstrong,
Sales and Technical
Mentor at Indestructible
Paint Ltd., who now
marks 50 years in the
industry. Here, he uses
up to date testing
technology, which itself
replaces an earlier
system, also in view.
“Apart from being proud to have achieved
50 years in the industry, and grateful to
everyone who has worked with and helped
me throughout that time, I can also reflect on
many occasions where a sense of humour
has perhaps been the most important
consideration. Maybe, more wisely, such
occasions are better left to the memory –
particularly if a simple glance at the image
from my early days is sufficient to raise a
smile. It seems, after all, that some things do
change,” concludes Graham Armstrong.
Visit: www.indestructible.co.uk
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