The Florida Finishers Mid-Winter Conference and Exposition is an eagerly anticipated event hosted by the Florida Finishers Corp, an esteemed non-profit organization dedicated to uniting professionals in the metal finishing and electroplating industries across Florida. Comprising chapters from Mid-West Florida, Orlando, and South Florida, this conference is a vital platform for professionals in these fields to connect, share insights, and advance their collective expertise.
About the NASF
Part of the larger National Association of Surface Finishers (NASF), the Florida Finishers chapters are integral components of an organization that represents individuals and companies in the surface finishing industry nationwide. Surface finishing, a critical process in preparing surfaces for painting or coating, forms the backbone of numerous industries. NASF plays a pivotal role in providing educational resources, industry news, technical standards, networking opportunities, and governmental advocacy to bolster the surface finishing sector.
About the Florida Finisher's Conference
At its core, the FFC's mission is centered on promoting education and propelling the advancement of the finishing industry. By fostering an environment where participants can stay abreast of cutting-edge trends and developments, the conference empowers professionals to optimize their finishing shop operations and glean valuable insights from peers in the field.
Optimizing Your Finishing Shop
Industrial Job Shops are an overlooked, undervalued, yet critical piece of the supply chain puzzle. Most notably, industrial job shops are those that clean and finish large volumes of parts such as painting, coating, or treating components in a car, refrigerator, or vacuum cleaner to provide a high-quality product. These manufacturing job shops often become lost in the manufacturing shuffle, falling further behind due to a lack of time, resources, and technology in an already underserved market.
Although there are many textbooks that highlight the fundamentals of running a profitable business, none seem to encapsulate the dynamic complexities of the parts-in, parts-out market. Work must flow efficiently to keep the entire supply chain humming along as multiple vendors coordinate quotes, shipping, receiving, quality, and sales workflows in collaboration with one another.
A half-day of the Annual Florida Finisher's Conference will be focused on shop optimization. One of the most anticipated sessions at the 2024 conference will feature Chet Halonen representing Steelhead Technologies. Chet's presentation will encapsulate the findings from hundreds of plant walks conducted in 2023, offering invaluable industry benchmarks derived from surface finishers utilizing Steelhead's job shop software.
About the 2024 Florida Finishers Benchmarking Session Presented by Steelhead Technologies
With technology advancements and logistics challenges making daily headlines, it has become essential to update traditional operations. In this session, we break down every facet of production where systems are today, and the opportunity to improve the industry standard, to allow job shop owners to unlock massive time and dollar savings. Backed by interviews with industry experts, we will uncover everything from quoting best practices to efficient invoicing strategies to get paid on time and everything in between, including:
- Quoting Benchmarks
- Invoicing Opportunities
- Job Costing Analysis
- Auto Margin Benchmarks
- Shipping & Receiving Insights
- Order Visibility Options
- Quality Management
- Compliance & Certifications Trends
- Specifications & Order Instructions
- Operator Training, Workboards Must-Haves
- And much more...
More importantly, you'll discover the sheer power of harnessing one integrated hub to gather and access all of your production data. Get ready to walk away with a crystal clear view of how you can optimize your finishing shop processes and replace the stacks of paper, spreadsheets and other disparate systems with one plant operating platform.
About Steelhead Technologies’ Impact on the Surface Finishing Industry
Steelhead Technologies stands at the forefront, offering a specialized plant operating platform tailored explicitly for metal finishing and electroplating professionals. Their software streamlines the complexity of the parts-in, parts-out manufacturing service process. Notably, their customer portals provide OEM customers with comprehensive order visibility, eliminating bottlenecks in customer service by addressing common queries regarding order status, production progress, and delivery timelines.
Additional Details for 2024 Mid-Winter Florida Finishers Conference
Set against the scenic backdrop of the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, the conference offers a comprehensive experience for attendees. The perks of hotel registration include a special group room rate with complimentary parking, a picturesque waterfront location overlooking Tampa Bay, high-speed Wi-Fi, access to a state-of-the-art fitness center, customizable stress relief and wellness programs, expansive outdoor spaces, and convenient proximity—just 20 minutes away from both Tampa and St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airports. Moreover, the venue is within walking distance of downtown Safety Harbor, providing access to popular shopping, dining, and entertainment options.
The Florida Finishers Mid-Winter Conference and Exposition stands as a pivotal gathering, uniting professionals in the surface finishing industry, fostering collaboration, and propelling the sector's advancements. It’s an indispensable event where innovation, expertise, and networking converge to shape the future of metal finishing and electroplating.