'There is a bright future for hot-dip galvanizing'

These techniques have a wide application, not only in the construction sector but also in agriculture and in the production of street and garden furniture or fencing. What makes the organization so unique is the fact that it represents the interests of Dutch as well as Belgian and Luxembourg galvanizing companies and that its members represent over 90% of the total sector. On April 1, 2021, Bruno Dursin passed the torch to Peter De Brabandere after 10 years of directorship.

Cross-border approach: stronger together

Originally the organization was founded in the Netherlands under the name 'Stichting Doelmatig Verzinken'. Afterwards, the Belgian galvanizing companies were also included in the story from Progalva and the name was changed to 'Zinkinfo Benelux'. Since then, the sector association has traditionally been led by a Dutch chairman and a Belgian director. The formula works perfectly, and this despite some minor national differences. For example, most Dutch galvanizing companies have an integrated coating department, while this is not the case in Belgium.

Bruno Dursin has served as director for the past 10 years and in that time managed to achieve a number of important milestones. He launched the awareness campaign 'Certain Zinc' and revived the 'Benelux Hot Dip Galvanizing Trophy', with awards for functional galvanizing, a separate category for duplex (galvanizing + coating) and a prize for Circular Building. No fewer than 77 projects were selected for the 2021 edition. All winners and nominated projects can be viewed in the following article and via www.zinkinfobenelux.com.

Continuing on the same path

His successor, Peter De Brabandere, built a solid reputation in various membership organizations and companies. For years, for example, he was director of marketing and communications at Agoria, the Belgian federation of the technology industry, and at Voka, the umbrella organization of the Flemish Chambers of Commerce. Before that, he was internationally active with several industrial companies and built up an online marketing agency with his partner. De Brabandere: "My experience with member organizations, my knowledge of communication and marketing and of technical and also political lobbying will undoubtedly come in handy in my new position. The fact that Zinkinfo defends the interests of both Dutch and Belgian companies only makes the challenge more exciting. And, very importantly, I can build on the solid foundations laid by my predecessor over the last 10 years. I therefore want to continue to focus on themes such as the further development of technical support, the close monitoring of standards and regulations and the stimulation of innovation and knowledge sharing. In addition, the promotion of hot-dip galvanizing as a future-oriented and sustainable technology and the upgrading of our companies as attractive employers remain important. After all, our sector remains highly labor-intensive, so finding suitable and sufficiently technically skilled personnel is not always easy."

A recruiting collective story: Definitely Zinc!

One of the spearheads of the policy of outgoing director Bruno Dursin is the "Certain Zinc" campaign, which is continuing unabated. This is a manifesto in book form that is being distributed to all actors who have to deal with zinc from far or near. Among other things, "Certain Zinc" emphasizes the fact that galvanizing steel has been used for more than 150 years and still offers the best protection against corrosion. The 30-year guarantee offered by members also attests to the efficiency of the process.

'Zeker Zink' also emphasizes the fact that almost all hot-dip galvanizers in the Benelux are originally family businesses that are close to their clients and know their needs inside out. Moreover, hot-dip galvanizing is an honest and transparent process. You immediately see whether a piece is properly galvanized or not. No risk of hidden defects that may come to light later.

The campaign stimulates the dialogue between specifier, contractor and galvanizing plant in order to better align expectations and the end result, whether it concerns technical or aesthetic galvanizing. The manifesto also highlights the commitment and efforts of the galvanizing members in terms of possible improvement processes regarding logistics and quality control. This will allow the ever-changing wishes and requirements of customers to be met at all times. Dursin: "I can confidently hand over my task to my successor Peter De Brabandere. We are on the same page as far as the important points are concerned. I am also looking forward with great anticipation to the way in which Peter will give galvanized steel a prominent place within circular construction, which will become increasingly important in the future. In function of this, the publication of a book 'Solutions for Circular Building' is already planned."