Training
Whitford maintains more active formulae for fluoropolymer coatings than any of our competitors. Working with so many customers in so many countries with so many products for so many years has led to a surprising accumulation of knowledge concentrated within the worldwide organization.
In 1990, we decided to share what we have learned with our customers — and founded “Whitford University”, a lofty name for an intensely practical training program of several days held in many of our offices on an annual basis.
With turnover and growth, our customers are often hiring new people, many of whom are novices in the rather complicated business of handling and applying high-performance coatings. Further, there is generally little formal training available related to the technology.
The objectives of Whitford University are three-fold:
- To share our knowledge
- To help our customers become more highly skilled in the application of fluoropolymer coatings
- To help familiarize the attendees with the proper handling of the various products we manufacture (more enlightened self-interest).
Each program lasts several days and combines classroom lectures with hands-on, practical exercises in the laboratory.
Lectures cover such subjects as product testing, quality-control procedures, surface preparation, environmental regulations, basic “paint math” (coverage calculations) as well as other subjects specific to the particular audience. Laboratory work includes familiarization with all types of application equipment and techniques, color matching, troubleshooting typical problems, demonstrations of testing equipment, etc.
Since the inception of Whitford University, we have graduated several thousand individuals from more than 40 countries. |
