Get to Know Jeff Post, VP/General Manager of Enduratex (Part One)
Our VP/General Manager, Jeff Post, sat down with us for an interview about his position at Enduratex and experience in the coated fabrics industry. The first part in this four-part series is dedicated to his industry knowledge and coated fabrics interest. Parts three through four, which will be published throughout the week, will touch on his impact at Enduratex, his leadership style and personal life.
1. How long
have you been in the vinyl industry?
Jeff: I’ve been in the vinyl industry for 30+ years. I started off selling resins, PVC resins and recycled resins of PVC. Then, in 1986, I moved into the coated fabrics life of the business.
What interested you about this category?Jeff: I’ve been in the vinyl industry for 30+ years. I started off selling resins, PVC resins and recycled resins of PVC. Then, in 1986, I moved into the coated fabrics life of the business.
Well, I was looking for a job
number one and I wanted to branch out. I had been selling consumer products and
I wanted to sell something different and more technical in its general aspects.
A friend of mine knew of a company that was selling resins and regrind
reprocess type products, and connected me with them. From there I moved on to
Uniroyal, selling coated fabrics. It was an interesting time because I went
from selling the technical aspects of the product to basically color and
design, which are these touchy feeling type situations. So the combination of
my background in technical selling helped me out quite a bit in understanding
the ins and outs of coated fabrics.
2. What drew you to Enduratex?
Jeff:
I didn’t want to move out of California if I could help it, and at that
time, and to this date, I think we’re the only California headquartered
operation in coated fabrics. I saw the company had some good products and good
background on products, the fundamental type products, but they needed help in
developing their positions in markets beyond the automotive aftermarket.
3. You have
an extensive knowledge on industry trends and needs, and on production,
specifically the technical science behind production and vinyl development.
What was your journey to learning the chemistry behind vinyl like? How do you
continue to grow your knowledge?
Jeff: I spent a lot of time reading books on polymer and polymerization and specifically PVC coated fabrics. When I started off in the business I had the best training you could possibly ask for with Uniroyal. They equipped me with a lot of information on what coated fabrics are, how they can be used for different applications and different types of backings.
I think to this day, I continue to seek out and learn as much as I can about other coated fabrics, other than PVC coated fabrics. Learning by asking questions to people of knowledge, not only in our company, but outside of our company becomes important in expanding your technical knowledge so you understand what it is you’re selling.
4. What was your initial vision for Enduratex? Has Enduratex become what you envisioned it would, or has the vision changed with time?
Jeff: My original vision for Enduratex was to build it as a ‘household name’ in the markets we served. We were known as CGPC back then and I made it a point to make sure that we got the brand Enduratex out there and that over time, we became known as Enduratex.
People began to call us Enduratex and I recognized the need to promote that name. I think we have accomplished a tremendous job in re-branding ourselves and making the brand name of ENDURATEX one that is known and respected.
5. Bringing new products to the industry and the process of fabric selection, topcoat research, etc. is a continuous process. What is most engaging of these various processes?
Jeff: I think there are probably two that are most engaging. One is the topcoat process and the various types of topcoats you can use for different applications, as well as advancing cleanable type topcoats and getting them to the point where they’re not as glossy, and don’t have a hard hand to them, which we’ve discovered with Forbid. Those kinds of things can be done but they need to be done better and we need to improve the technique with which we’re making the topcoat to the point where you can actually clean it off with a wet rag or a dry rag. That would probably be at the top of the list I would be looking at.
Jeff: I spent a lot of time reading books on polymer and polymerization and specifically PVC coated fabrics. When I started off in the business I had the best training you could possibly ask for with Uniroyal. They equipped me with a lot of information on what coated fabrics are, how they can be used for different applications and different types of backings.
I think to this day, I continue to seek out and learn as much as I can about other coated fabrics, other than PVC coated fabrics. Learning by asking questions to people of knowledge, not only in our company, but outside of our company becomes important in expanding your technical knowledge so you understand what it is you’re selling.
4. What was your initial vision for Enduratex? Has Enduratex become what you envisioned it would, or has the vision changed with time?
Jeff: My original vision for Enduratex was to build it as a ‘household name’ in the markets we served. We were known as CGPC back then and I made it a point to make sure that we got the brand Enduratex out there and that over time, we became known as Enduratex.
People began to call us Enduratex and I recognized the need to promote that name. I think we have accomplished a tremendous job in re-branding ourselves and making the brand name of ENDURATEX one that is known and respected.
5. Bringing new products to the industry and the process of fabric selection, topcoat research, etc. is a continuous process. What is most engaging of these various processes?
Jeff: I think there are probably two that are most engaging. One is the topcoat process and the various types of topcoats you can use for different applications, as well as advancing cleanable type topcoats and getting them to the point where they’re not as glossy, and don’t have a hard hand to them, which we’ve discovered with Forbid. Those kinds of things can be done but they need to be done better and we need to improve the technique with which we’re making the topcoat to the point where you can actually clean it off with a wet rag or a dry rag. That would probably be at the top of the list I would be looking at.
Comments
Post a Comment