By Phil Pearce, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Lorin Industries, Inc.
Speed meetings with a mission. That’s how we at Lorin think of our recent experience at the Arc-US show. We had several days of short one-on-one meetings with architects, where we were able to increase their awareness of what continuous coil anodized aluminum is and help them understand what Lorin does differently and the benefits we provide.
Architects are pulled in so many directions trying to meet client deadlines, and almost never have time to sit for 30 minutes uninterrupted to listen to suppliers. That’s one reason both suppliers and architects believe the Arc-US format is a really efficient way to learn firsthand about a lot of new products and ideas.
Both groups also appreciated the informal times over meals and cocktail hours to talk in a more relaxed forum to get to know each other. I firmly believe that this added element – which nobody has time for in their offices – helps builds a relationship of trust.
The meetings themselves were productive and the products very well-received. We focused on showing both the durability and aesthetics of the product. Anodized aluminum is not a coating – we grow/convert part of the base aluminum into an oxide layer that is bonded at the molecular level, so it cannot chip, flake, or peel, unlike coatings often do. From an aesthetic standpoint, it can be colored in a nearly infinite array of colors. Because the anodic layer is a crystalline structure, it reflects and refracts light in ways that add depth to the surface and make it come alive, while accentuating the natural metal look.
The architects really liked the feel and look of our materials, especially our natural metal look products, like our brushed finishes, copper colors, and our exclusive AnoZinc® collection of colors. They were also impressed by our project examples, the durability of our surface finishes and colors, as well as our quality, color consistency, and color control.
Those we met with are following up with Lorin to get samples, test results information, sample product specifications for bids, or to schedule lunch and learns for their firms. Several have active projects with which they want to get us involved.
All in all, Arc-US was a great way to introduce the materials to architects and we appreciate their time and attention. We are looking forward to the next Arc-US to continue to show just how these visually beautiful and durable products can enhance architects’ projects.