Subject Matter Expert: American Galvanizers Association
The American Galvanizers Association (AGA), is a non-profit trade association dedicated to serving the needs of after-fabrication galvanizers, fabricators, architects, specifiers, and engineers, providing technical support on today's innovative applications and state-of-the-art technological developments in hot-dip galvanizing for corrosion control.
The mission of the American Galvanizers Association is to preserve, enhance, and protect the existence of the hot-dip galvanizing industry throughout North America, and to fulfill the needs of the industry for technical, marketing, and other services.
The AGA provides information on the most innovative applications and state-of-the-art technological developments in the field of galvanizing. The AGA maintains an extensive technical library and provides multi-media seminars in order to educate and train the specifying community. The association celebrates over 65 years of preserving the past, enhancing the present, and protecting the future.
The following objectives outline the association's means to fulfilling the above mission:
- To inform and educate North American specifiers and end-users in order to maintain and expand the markets for the galvanizing industry.
- To develop a vertical-marketing approach.
- To develop a regional approach for the education of college and university professors and students.
- To measure the effectiveness of AGA programs.
- To ensure the long-term viability of the galvanizing industry by educating member galvanizers in the technical aspects of the galvanizing process and environmental engineering.
- To develop effective tools for the galvanizer to use to enhance processing efficiency, safety and quality.
- To gather and communicate information on the activities of the industry and those affecting the industry, so as to coordinate an effective and timely industry response.
- To be recognized as the authority for the industry, representing the industry on application, specification, processing, environmental, and regulatory issues.
- To attract new members from the worldwide galvanizing industry.
Dr. Langill has been with the American Galvanizers Association for 16 years as its Technical Director. He has been active in helping shape the research programs for galvanizing programs. Tom has contributed to the ASTM committees that deal with the specifications used by the galvanizing industry and is Chairman of three separate ASTM Subcommittees including the subcommittee that maintains the standards for the hot-dip galvanizing process. He has provided technical support for many specifiers and engineers who have technical questions about galvanized steel or its use in a particular environment. He writes a regular feature in the American Galvanizers Association magazine on problems related to hot-dip galvanizing. Tom has authored and presents a seminar series on Processing Details in the hot-dip galvanizing industry, the continuing education Galvanize It! seminar for architects and engineers, and the Inspection of Hot-Dip Galvanized Products seminar.
Melissa Lindsley is the Marketing Manager of the American Galvanizers Association (AGA) located in Centennial, CO. She received her B.S. in Journalism from the University of Kansas in 2003 and has worked for the AGA since August 2005. She started as a Marketing Coordinator, and was promoted to Marketing Manager in June 2007. Under the tutelage of Dr. Thomas Langill, AGA Technical Director, and Philip Rahrig, AGA Executive Director, Melissa has developed a comprehensive understanding of and passion for the hot-dip galvanizing industry. Melissa has helped author and teaches ThinkZinc, a series of Sales/Marketing courses, to member personnel to educate them on the uses, competition, process, technical aspects, and benefits of hot-dip galvanizing. She leads the marketing staff and has played an integral part in shaping the marketing initiatives of the AGA, including a 3-year marketing plan for industry growth. Melissa answers technical and application questions, while in the office and on the road at various industry tradeshows. She also writes AGA’s marketing and technical publications, editorials for industry magazines, and the Marketing Guru, a regular feature in the American Galvanizer member newsletter.
Philip G. Rahrig has been the Executive Director of the American Galvanizers Association (AGA) for 16 years. His educational background is physics and business (Xavier University) and he has developed an expertise in the marketing of technical products. Phil has conducted hundreds of seminars on the topics of the galvanizing process, corrosion theory/mechanisms, painting over hot-dip galvanized steel, and life-cycle costing analysis. Extensive visits to numerous galvanizing facilities and hundreds of sites where hot-dip galvanized steel is used has given him a unique insight into the match of performance and intended use. He has the particular skills to explain the process, performance and uses of hot-dip galvanized steel to people of all levels of understanding.
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