Once a month we ask a member of Flowcrete’s global team to share some of their insights and expertise with us. This month we talked to Jay Allred, Flowcrete Americas’ Technical Sales Representative for Arizona, Southern California, New Mexico and Southern Nevada.
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Where do you foresee the growth in the industry over the next five years?
With our part of the industry expected to grow 7.2% between 2016 and 2022, I’d say significant contributions will come from the expanding Asia-Pacific market, development and sales of “Eco-Friendly” products and the high demand for highly functional and anti-microbial floors in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets.
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What has been the biggest flooring challenge you have had to overcome?
We are currently testing products, at a very well known space exploration company, to withstand the thermal shock of liquid nitrogen (N2 or Ln2) in splash and spill situations. The challenge is not the temperature that the coating can withstand, but the rate at which it gets there…to be continued!
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Is there a flooring project you’ve seen that has particularly impressed you?
Every project is impressive to me because every one of them is unique. The impressive part about projects (for me) varies. It could be the obstacles overcome during design phase, the installation, the final appearance, a huge sale! Every coating project is impressive in some way.
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What has been the major game changer in your career?
The game changer for me is having amazing mentors throughout my career that encouraged me to listen, learn, grow, always strive to be the most knowledgeable and technically responsible person in any market I am a part of, and to share forward what I have learned. They are definitely my “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”.
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What’s your number one piece of advice for someone going through the flooring specification process?
Ask for help.
Most manufacturers will gladly take the time to not only show you their products, but help you understand the importance of defined surface prep and coating selection in a specification. Many issues that are encountered on coating projects can be alleviated at the time specifications are written. We always encourage architects, engineers, and specifiers to reach out for information.