The Passage of Time

The more time you spend in the finishing and coating industry, the more friends you make. This industry is one that allows you to meet and get to know those who run the shops, make the equipment, generate the supplies, and come to all the regional and national shows each year.

But with the passage of time, some of those who have made the biggest impression on you also have to say goodbye to the industry from time to time and walk away into their next career or hopefully into a happy retirement.

The 20 Questions segment on Hubbard-Hall’s Robert Farrell Jr. in this month’s issue is just one of those great people we have to say goodbye to. Bob is retiring this month after an almost 30-year career in the business, first at Mitchell Bradford and then at Hubbard-Hall, where he has been technical director for many years.

Bob is a reserved, unassuming man who I had to coax into answering the 20 questions, and I who I also had to bed a tad for images. He is private but smart as a whip to when he first entered the industry after a year with the U.S. EPA. He is retiring to his beloved Vermont, and I am thankful to give him a tad bit more notoriety; he also penned a great technical piece for me on black oxide as he was heading for the door, so if you get the chance, please check out his words of wisdom on that, too.

Of course, we also lose folks from the industry when they pass on, which seems to be a lot these days. This was a very grey industry when I joined it over 10 years ago, and no one is getting any younger, including me. It is always sad to read when someone passes, but I am always reminded of the first time I met them and the conversations we had along the way.

Yes, new blood is always coming into the industry. I read somewhere that about 22% of the people in a given industry turn over each year through retirement, death, promotions out of the industry, or just those who switch jobs. As sad as it is to see a lot of people leaving, it is also rejuvenating to see the new ones come in.

I was in my 40s when I got into the finishing and coating industry. You do the math, but in 10 years, I may not be still working on it. Hopefully, I’ll also be retired on a farm somewhere. Time does go by so quickly that we often wonder where everyone went and who are all these new faces.

Thankfully, it gives everyone the chance to make new friends and learn new names, which has always been a tough chore for me. This is why I enjoy seeing some people three or four times; I finally remember their names, but it’s a friendship that will last many years.