EBRATS '09: Surface finishing-Brazilian style

EBRATS, Brazil's premier surface finishing exposition and technical conference, organized by the Associação Brasileira de Tratamentos de Superffcie (ABTS), was held on May 7-9, 2009 in Transamerica Expo Center in São Paulo, Brazil. Vendors ranged from specialists in surface treatments, passivates, conversion coatings, and phosphating. EBRATS' diversity from an attendee standpoint was equally apparent. A number of entities including ABTS, state colleges, and vocational schools were extremely proactive in promoting surface finishing curriculums and training programs. Brazil's conservative fiscal policies and strong industrial base have provided the country with an advantage in the face of global economic stress. According to Valter Luiz Pagan de Lara, president and director of APC Business Consulting, all this has helped Brazilians withstand the severe economic distress being felt in other parts of the world.