PCI Business Growth Summit

The U.S. economy is sending mixed signals — and how you read those signals will shape the decisions you make in the next 12 to 24 months. David Altig brings a perspective few business leaders ever get direct access to: the view from inside the Federal Reserve. As Chief Economic Advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Altig translates the complex machinery of monetary policy into what it actually means for inflation, interest rates, labor markets, and business conditions on the ground. This session cuts through the noise to give owners and executives a clearer picture of where the economy is headed — and what they should be watching.

Few people in the powder coating industry see the global market from the vantage point that Jeff Jirak does. As Global Business Unit Director for Powder Coatings and President of North America at AkzoNobel, he operates where macro forces hit the supply chain first — before they show up in your input costs, your customer’s order patterns, or your competitive landscape. In this session, Jirak shares what he’s watching: the cascade effect of geopolitical disruption through the supply chain, consolidation pressure on both suppliers and custom coaters, and the discipline required to make good business decisions when the signals are uncertain. For owners and operators navigating a market that feels increasingly unpredictable, this is the kind of perspective money can’t buy elsewhere.

John Schuepbach has spent more than a decade at the center of the mergers and acquisitions market in steel and metal fabrication — a sector that runs closely parallel to custom coating and job shop operations. What he’s watching in fabrication today tends to show up in powder coating tomorrow. In this session, Schuepbach maps the consolidation trends reshaping fabrication and draws the direct lines to what custom coaters and job shops should be thinking about: who’s buying, who’s selling, what multiples look like, and what business characteristics attract or repel acquirers. Whether you’re building to sell, building to buy, or just trying to stay independent — this session gives you a sharper read on the market.

Growing pains aren’t random. They’re predictable. Based on research across 650+ companies, Eric Schultz breaks down the 7 Stages of Growth — a framework that shows exactly what problems hit as you add people, and what you need to fix before they blindside you. Stop throwing time and money at the wrong solution. Walk out knowing exactly what stage your business is in, what’s coming next, and what to do about it right now.

When the United States entered World War II, the military needed weapons — specifically, airplanes — and it needed them fast. President Roosevelt turned to American manufacturers, including the Ford Motor Company, which made an audacious promise: a bomber an hour. What followed was one of the most remarkable feats of industrial mobilization in history. New York Times bestselling author A.J. Baime brings this story to life in vivid, cinematic detail — a fitting reminder, as we gather steps from the National World War II Museum, of what American manufacturers are capable of when the stakes are highest. More than history, this session is a reflection on resilience, ingenuity, and the enduring power of people who build things.