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Issue link: https://pf.epubxp.com/i/156873
POWDER COATING 300-Percent Growth "We have grown over 300 percent since 2005 because of the exceptional quality of our powder coating equipment and our unparalleled business ethics," Strickland says. "We maintain a friendly, cooperative relationship with equipment resellers, installation contractors and powder coating suppliers, including those who don't sell our products. And we don't bad-mouth our competition." Webb is also developing a network of distributors for his agricultural products throughout Texas and Oklahoma, which is one of the reasons he chose to locate the plant in Whitney, between the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Austin, both centers of economic growth. "Our products aren't the cheapest in the market, but they surely aren't the most expensive either," Webb says. "We want to give developers and homeowners the best combination of quality and price." Although AAdvantage Panels and Fence just started in 2012, Webb spent more than 20 years manufacturing outdoor furniture before producing fence panels. During that time he gained experience powder coating his products, so he was comfortable with putting in a new coating line at AAdvantage. Faster Temps fastest growing powder coating equipment manufacturer in the U.S. The company initially was headquartered in Huntsville, Ala., with manufacturing facilities in Tuscaloosa. After it was able to introduce modular designs to make its products more affordable to the average coater and manufacturer, the company experienced rapid growth, resulting in relocation of its headquarters in 2006 and expansion to an additional facility in early 2008. Through a cooperative manufacturing arrangement, Reliant added an additional 40,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in 2011. Primary sales, manufacturing and warehousing operations are now carried out at facilities in Decatur, Linden, Somerville and Tuscaloosa, Ala. 36 SEPTEMBER 2013 — pfonline.com "The Reliant oven gets up to operating temperature anywhere from 30- to 50-percent faster than our old oven," he says. AAdvantage ordered its new system in October of 2012 and it was operational before the end of the year. "It arrived when they said it would and the installation process went very smoothly," Webb recalls. "They trained us in the morning, and by the end of the day we were going full speed. The installation crew barely got out of our way before we were producing on the equipment." The system has continued to meet Webb's expectations. More importantly, Webb says that his company is gaining ground against overseas products because of the ability to provide a