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25 finishing exhibitors to visit at FABTECH 2026. Ahead of the Oct. 21-23 show, PF editors highlight pretreatment chemistries, parts cleaning systems, application equipment, curing technology and material handling from some of the finishing exhibitors that will be present at this year's show in Las Vegas. Senior Managing Editor, CompositesWorld and Products Finishing Sources (clockwise) | Steelhead Technologies, Pacline Conveyors, Circle-Prosco, Titan-Catalytic and Allied UV FABTECH 2026 is returning to the Las Vegas Convention Center from Oct. 21-23, the show's first appearance in Las Vegas in 10 years. Under the theme "Innovation Without Limits," this metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event is bringing together more than 1,400 exhibits across more than 700,000 square feet of exhibit space. The show also debuts a new Artificial Intelligence for Manufacturing (AIM) Pavilion this year. For surface finishers, the focal point is the FINISHING Pavilion. Organized by the Industrial Finishing & Coating Association (IFCA) - relaunched this year under its new name after operating as the CCAI - more than 150 exhibitors in this pavilion are covering every stage of the finishing process, including pretreatment, coating, curing and quality inspection. The accompanying FINISHING Conference offers 21 sessions on topics ranging from washer chemistry selection and powder coating fundamentals to aluminum anodizing, CO[2] spray cleaning, all-electric paint lines and AI-driven process intelligence. IFCA's FAB to FINISH Production Experience also returns, guiding attendees through cleaning, powder coating, curing and quality testing across participating exhibitor booths. To help attendees prepare, Products Finishing editors solicited and received surface finishing exhibitor product previews, detailed below in alphabetical order. Company names link directly back to the original preview article. For the full FINISHING Conference schedule and pavilion exhibitor list, see "FABTECH Returns to Las Vegas After a Decade Away." * Allied UV: Allied UV offers custom-formulated UV-cured coating systems for manufacturers seeking faster production speeds and lower emissions. * Circle-Prosco: Circle-Prosco offers the Steelcote line of nanoceramic conversion coatings formulated to replace iron and zinc phosphate systems while reducing energy use and waste disposal costs. * Cool Clean Technologies: Cool Clean Technologies' Omega 1500 integrated spray cleaning module delivers residue-free precision cleaning using recycled CO[2] in a compact, floor space-saving footprint. * DuBois Chemicals: DuBois Chemicals introduces DuraTEC, a phosphate-free pretreatment product line formulated to improve operational efficiency and meet environmental and safety compliance. * Ecoclean: Ecoclean showcases two parts cleaning systems - one solvent-based, one aqueous - designed to address a range of production capacities and cleaning requirements. * Fortress Abrasive Blast Systems: Fortress Abrasive Blast Systems showcases portable and cabinet blast equipment engineered for surface preparation across manufacturing, fabrication and heavy maintenance applications. * Gema USA Inc.: Gema USA Inc.'s booth display features object detection scanning, an all-in-one powder pump and a cloud-based monitoring tool for coating operations. * Koch Finishing Systems: Koch Finishing Systems brings the discussion of its full range of automated finishing lines to the show floor, with engineering staff on hand to explore custom system design and upgrades. * Kyzen: Kyzen Corp. showcases Metalnox M6356, a water-based cleaning chemistry formulated to remove heavy oils and burned-on carbon from steel and aluminum components. * MacDermid Enthone: MacDermid Enthone features a full range of plating, anti-corrosion, light metal and wastewater treatment chemistries, supported by on-site technical expertise and process consultation. * Midwest Finishing Systems: Midwest Finishing Systems offers custom-engineered batch and automated finishing systems, with all engineering, manufacturing, installation and service handled by in-house staff. * Niko Conveyors: Niko Conveyors offers overhead conveyor systems and sliding door hardware, supporting loads up to 4,400 pounds across manual and powered configurations. * Nordson: Nordson's VT Auto Controller centralizes gun control and recipe management for powder coating lines of varying production scale. * Pacline Conveyors: Pacline Conveyors showcases its Pac-Line enclosed track conveyor for compact powder coating and ecoat lines, alongside the heavy-duty Pac-Max for larger, heavier parts requiring load stability. * Parker Ionics: Parker Ionics introduces Super Pulse Power Advanced Corona Charging Technology designed to optimize transfer efficiency in dry-on-dry powder coating without voltage reduction or ion trap add-ons. * PEM Inc.: PEM Inc. displays its updated SprayLean in-line washer alongside its SprayWand and FinFlow product lines for batch and automated pretreatment applications. * PPG: PPG showcases its Envirocron Extreme Protection Edge Powder Plus alongside the Aquacron Waterborne Shop Primer for structural steel. * RollSeal: RollSeal will demonstrate its industrial finishing door lineup, including paint booth, high-temperature oven and a new blast booth model. * Sames: Sames introduces the Nanobell 8 Series - three models spanning non-electrostatic wood finishing to high-performance electrostatic configurations for automated and robotic coating lines. * Sprimag: Sprimag offers custom-engineered painting and surface coating systems across automotive, aerospace, medical and general manufacturing applications. * Steelhead Technologies: Steelhead Technologies introduces AI BOM Builder, designed to eliminate manual data entry by converting customer drawings into complete bills of materials within its shop management platform. * Therma-Tron-X Inc.: Therma-Tron-X's ACC system runs on I-beam tracks without chains, offering a custom-configurable, chainless material handling option for industrial finishing lines. * Titan-Catalytic: Titan-Catalytic offers gas catalytic infrared heaters, ovens and turnkey systems for powder coating and liquid finishing lines. * Troy Chemical: Troy Chemical supports manufacturers with pretreatment chemicals, on-site technical representatives and three finished goods warehouses distributed across the U.S. * Vitracoat: Vitracoat highlights its thermoset powder coating portfolio, featuring application efficiency improvements, architectural color offerings and small-batch capabilities for manufacturers across North America.

Chemico named a 2025 Supplier of the Year by General Motors. Leading chemical management supplier has received 16 Supplier of the Year awards from GM. June 16, 2026 18:51 ET | Source: Chemico SOUTHFIELD, Mich., June 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - General Motors (GM) recognized Chemico as a 2025 Supplier of the Year in the category of Industrialization during GM's recent 34th annual Supplier of the Year award event in Austin, Texas. During its 37-year tenure as a GM supplier, Chemico has received 16 GM Supplier of the Year awards, including an Overdrive award for above-and-beyond performance in 2023. "Receiving our 16th Supplier of the Year award from General Motors is a tremendous honor," said Leon C. Richardson, founder, president, and CEO of Chemico. "This achievement reflects the strength of our lasting collaborative partnership with GM and the daily dedication to service, quality, and excellence that our team brings each day. It is also a testament to the mission we set out with in 1989 - to add value to our customers' supply chain, add value to the lives of our employees, and add value to the communities in which we live and work." For 2025, GM's 34th annual Supplier of the Year and Overdrive awards recognize 103 suppliers spanning 14 countries. These suppliers deliver outstanding performance, partnership, and innovation in support of GM's global operations. Awardees are selected by a global GM team based on performance across key categories such as safety, innovation, execution, resilience, and customer support, along with their alignment to GM's core values and strategic priorities. "Supplier of the Year is one of those key moments our whole team looks forward to every year because it highlights the partnerships behind every vehicle we build," said Shilpan Amin, Senior Vice President, Global Chief Procurement and Supply Chain Officer, General Motors. "The results our suppliers deliver throughout the entire product development cycle are central to our ability to deliver world-class vehicles to our customers. When our suppliers, such as Chemico, lean in with us on new technology and flawless execution, we can move faster, compete harder and unlock more value across the entire supply chain." Founded in 1989, The Chemico Group has become one of the nation's leading providers of chemical management services, distribution and specialty product manufacturing firms across North America and abroad. The company specializes in integrated solutions for the entire chemical lifecycle - from procurement to on-site inventory management and environmentally conscious disposal. Chemico's vast network of suppliers and specialty manufacturers provides a wide variety of chemical solutions to customers across the automotive, aerospace, electronics and healthcare industries and the defense sector. With 50 locations and more than 450 employees across the U.S. and Mexico, the company remains poised for significant growth. Chemico has entered a strategic partnership with DuBois Chemicals, whose product breadth includes value-added chemical solutions and process improvements for industrial manufacturing, cleaning, and water treatment applications. DuBois' local technical expertise and facility footprint, coupled with Chemico's industry-leading service capabilities, deliver unparalleled value to customers. Caption: Chemico CEO Leon C. Richardson (center) accepts the 2025 Supplier of the Year award from General Motors during their 34th annual Supplier of the Year awards event in Austin, Texas. Richardson is flanked by Mauricio Pincheira, Chemico VP Automotive & Industrial Accounts (far left), Sham Kunjur, GM Executive Director Purchasing (left) and Dave Macleod, Chemico Executive VP (right).