A conversation with Steven Feldman of New Guard Coatings Inc.

Even after being retired two years, Steven Feldman still felt he had a lot to offer an organization that matched his personal objectives and "basic beliefs" about how to manage a company, interact and trade with other businesses, and strategize with a team of employees. BIC Magazine recently sat down with Feldman to learn more about why he came out of retirement to serve as New Guard Coatings Inc.'s new president -- Americas and uphold the third-generation company's global reputation for delivering true value and a safer work environment to its customers.

Q: What led to your position at New Guard?

A: After working as a consultant to New Guard Coatings and learning what drives the organization, when I got the offer for a full-time executive position in 2019, I jumped on it. We at New Guard believe in respecting the individual by treating people the way we would want to be treated, doing business with uncompromising honesty and integrity, and striving for excellence in all we do. We want to be great at a few things instead of good at many things that take us away from our core competencies. I noted right from the start that New Guard lives these ideals -- they aren't just some fancy thoughts stored away in a brochure. They keep the business moving forward, and after 35 years in the business, I can attest this philosophy never slows a company down and never slows me down. It works.

Q: What is the biggest news at New Guard right now?

A: The biggest and most exciting news is our new safety division, where we develop and sell safety solutions to the No. 1 killer in the workplace: slips and falls. Our prime business for years has been as an authorized distributor for major companies that formulate and manufacture high-performance protective coatings for industries including oil and gas, petrochemical, power, wastewater and infrastructure. We put a stop to corrosion. The companies we represent include PPG Inc., Rust-Oleum, Jotun and our own brand of products under the Guard label. These companies are global leaders in this field of protecting steel and concrete assets in severe environments where corrosion can cost dearly if left on its own.

Q: Are you looking to grow in new markets or expand in current ones?

A: A new, exciting venture for us is that we now stop slips and falls and increase traction for rolling equipment in the same industrial environments as we battle corrosion. Our unique anti-slip coatings, ladder rungs, plates, and custom anti-slip sheets and tapes can be used on concrete, steel, wood and catwalks. We alter the walking surface more permanently, reducing major risks and costs associated with these reoccurring problems. OSHA and the National Safety Council look for solutions every day, and so do other executives who know how much these accidents cost when unchecked. Approximately 65 percent of all lost workdays are due to slips and falls, and $62 billion per year is spent on workplace injuries. Coupling fighting corrosion with accidents in this industry is a worthy cause. It's exhilarating when we can say we might save someone's life today.

Q: What is a "fun fact" about you people might not know?

A: I am new to Texas and still getting used to the heat and humidity, but it's better than the snow and ice I came from. The weather gives me more time to spend outside, tending to my garden and playing with my dogs. I'm also sure to spend some spare time bettering myself by reading and learning new ways to enhance my personal life and that of the business.

For more information, visit www.newguardcoatings.com or call (832) 243-6680.