Daily News

Magazine Names Westside Finishing Among Top Finishing Shops

HOLYOKE — Westside Finishing has been named one of the best finishing shops in North America, according to an industry benchmarking survey conducted by Products Finishing magazine, a trade publication that has covered the industry since 1938.

The magazine conducted an extensive benchmarking survey that analyzed hundreds of finishing companies in several different areas, including current finishing technology, finishing practices and performances, business strategies and performances, and training and human resources.

Only the top 50 shops were given the honor of being a Products Finishing ‘Top Shop’ based on a scoring matrix in those four criteria.

“Westside Finishing has established itself as one of the best finishing operations in the industry,” said Tim Pennington, editor of Products Finishing magazine. “The criteria we used was very stringent, and only the top finishing shops that excelled in all four areas made the list. Westside Finishing is in rare air when it comes to finishing operations.”

Brian Bell, owner and president of Westside Finishing, said he is “extremely excited and pleased to be named one of Products Finishing magazine’s Top Shops for the second year. Our employees and management team have worked very hard to be the best in the industry, and to provide our customers with quality service.”

Westside Finishing began as a liquid-coatings job shop based in West Springfield in the early 1980s. As the company began to grow and expand, powder-coating technology became more advanced and mainstream. In 1986, Westside Finishing purchased its first powder-coating setup and began spraying powder coatings. In 1994, the company moved its operation to 15 Samosett St. in Holyoke. The facility has undergone two expansions spurred by the dramatic increase in size and volume capability of parts that are being coated. In order to keep up with demand, new coating equipment was installed, and new employees were hired to meet customer demands.

In addition to powder coating, Westside Finishing offers a wide array of services including silk screening, pad printing, sub assembly, final packaging, and trucking to businesses in their service area. Westside Finishing is a family business; Bell is joined by his wife Jeanne, office manager, and son Korey, who has held various positions throughout the company and now serves as operations manager.