Built to Grow: Scaling a Powder Coating Business | Steelhead Shop Talk

What happens after the growth shows up? In this episode of Steelhead Shop Talk, Adam Swift, Head of Operations at Powder Coating Technologies, joins Dean to talk about what it takes to scale a fast-growing powder coating business without sacrificing quality, lead times, or customer service. Adam shares how PCT has evolved from a smaller operation into a growing B2B powder coater, and how the team uses data to understand backlog, capacity, lead times, quality, and when it's time to add people or shifts. They also dig into: • Finding and serving the right customers as the business grows • Why quality, accuracy, and lead time are critical to customer retention • Using Watchtower and production data to understand backlog and capacity • Making hiring and expansion decisions based on real operational data • Tracking rework and identifying quality trends • Getting operators bought into new processes and technology • Why leaders need to work alongside the people on the floor • Using Steelhead to prevent orders from reaching production before the right powder is available • Training new employees to understand how work moves through the business • Scaling from one shift to multiple shifts without losing consistency or quality • Using specs and standardized workflows to support future growth and certifications For Adam, scaling isn't just about doing more work. It's about building systems and a team that can continue delivering as the operation becomes more complex. Steelhead Shop Talk brings together manufacturing leaders to share real experiences, lessons, and ideas from the shop floor. Learn more about Steelhead: https://gosteelhead.com #PowderCoating #Manufacturing #ShopTalk #Steelhead