AAC to Introduce New Certification Program and Address Workforce Training and Rentention

Anodizing is a durable, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing finishing method for aluminum profiles, sheet, and other components used in architectural design, aerospace, automotive, housewares, and other industries. In this interview, Jon Ledin (pictured), chairman of the Aluminum Anodizers Council (AAC) and general manager of AaCron, Inc. in Minneapolis, MN, discusses the status of the anodizing industry and the AAC’s current efforts to support the sector through new certification and education and training programs.

Ledin has spent his career in the aluminum finishing industry, with experience in anodizing operations, technical management, process development, and executive leadership. He previously held positions with Stylmark, Inc. and Wausau Window and Wall Systems. As AAC chairman, he helps guide the Council’s work in education, technical advancement, advocacy, and promotion of anodized aluminum.

Tell us a bit about the AAC and its goals as an organization. How does the Council aim to support anodizers? And how does it support aluminum companies?

The AAC brings together the full supply chain of the anodizing industry. Our membership includes anodizers, suppliers, professional members, and associate members, including companies that purchase or specify anodized finishes. That broad representation is important because it allows AAC to serve as a common forum for advancing the entire industry.

AAC was formed more than 30 years ago, in part, to advocate for the industry on environmental regulatory issues. That advocacy role remains important, but the Council has continued to grow through education, technical advancement and promotion of anodized finishes. The AAC aims to propel the anodizing industry forward, strengthen the aluminum industry, and serve as a resource for purchasers and specifiers of anodized finishes.

What is the status of the North American aluminum anodizing industry? What are the current challenges and trends that the industry is facing?

The North American anodizing industry remains strong, but like many manufacturing sectors, it is facing challenges around workforce, training, retention, and attracting new talent. As experienced employees retire or transition out of the industry, it is important that companies have access to education and resources that help develop the next generation of anodizing professionals.

One of the unique challenges for AAC is the wide range of operations and applications represented within our membership. Our anodizer members include job shops and batch processors that may process sheet, coil, plate, extrusions, castings, and forgings. These products serve a broad range of end-use applications, which means the needs of our members can vary significantly.

That diversity is a strength, but it also requires AAC to be thoughtful in creating content and programs that deliver value across the full membership. We have been very focused on listening to members, understanding their needs, and developing resources that are practical, relevant, and broadly beneficial.

How common is it for aluminum extruders, sheet producers, and others to invest in their own anodizing capacity? What is the value of investing in in-house capacity compared to outsourcing?

The decision to invest in captive anodizing capacity is really a volume, mix, and business-model question. Some aluminum producers and OEMs operate their own anodizing lines, but it requires careful cost-benefit and needs analysis. Anodizing involves capital investment, technical expertise, process control, environmental compliance, and enough consistent volume to support the operation.

A useful way to think about the industry is job shop versus batch processing. Job shops are high-mix operations where flexibility and technical capability are critical. Batch processors are generally low-mix operations where consistency, throughput, and efficiency are the primary drivers.

In-house anodizing can offer control over scheduling, lead times, quality, and customer service. Outsourcing, however, remains very important because independent anodizers bring specialized expertise, flexibility, and process knowledge that can be difficult to replicate.

Anodizing is also different from paint. It is not simply a product applied to aluminum. It is an electrochemical process that changes the aluminum surface itself. Like any process, there is variation, so experience and process control are essential.

That is where AAC can provide value across the industry. Job shops, batch processors, OEMs, suppliers, and purchasers of anodized finishes all have something to gain from being connected to the Council’s education, technical resources, networking, and industry programming.

Collaboration between extruders and anodizers is a key goal of AAC. How is the Council supporting companies in developing this collaboration?

Collaboration is central to AAC, but we take a broader view that spans the full anodizing supply chain, not just the relationship between extruders and anodizers. While aluminum extrusions are a common anodizing substrate, the process is also used on other forms of aluminum across many end-use applications.

AAC’s role is to help create better alignment between anodizers, suppliers, OEMs, specifiers, and purchasers of anodized finishes. That means understanding not only how anodizers view the process, but also how customers and end users value anodizing, specify it, and make decisions around performance, appearance, durability, and sustainability.

To support that work, AAC engaged Ducker Carlisle to conduct a three-phase study of the North American anodizing market. Conducted over 18 months, the 2024 study provided valuable insight into where anodizing is used, what end users are looking for, and where AAC can provide stronger resources.

That research has helped guide AAC’s new programs, educational offerings, and market development efforts. The aim is to strengthen collaboration across the entire anodizing community, so the industry can more effectively promote, specify, and support anodized aluminum.

Can you talk about the role anodizing plays in sustainability? How important is data collection in the anodizing process?

Sustainability continues to be woven more tightly into the conversation across AAC and the broader aluminum industry. For anodizing, that is a positive development because anodized aluminum has a strong sustainability story to tell. It is durable, it supports long product life, and it does not compromise one of aluminum’s greatest advantages: recyclability.

In 2022, the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) published its latest industry-wide EPD for aluminum extrusions, covering mill finish, painted, and anodized products. For the anodizing industry, the results are encouraging. On a product-stage basis, anodized extrusions showed a lower reported carbon footprint than painted extrusions. The EPD reported approximately 10,763 kg CO₂e per tonne for anodized extrusions compared with approximately 11,673 kg CO₂e per tonne for painted extrusions, making the anodized extrusion about 7.8% lower on an A1-A3 basis.

That is an important data point, but it is only part of the story. One of the key advantages of anodized aluminum is that the anodic oxide layer is created from the aluminum itself. It is not simply a coating applied over the metal. It is an electrochemically formed aluminum oxide layer that becomes part of the surface, creating a hard, durable, corrosion-resistant finish. That durability can help extend the life of the aluminum product, which is an important part of any meaningful sustainability discussion.

Just as important, anodizing does not compromise aluminum’s recyclability. Aluminum can be recycled repeatedly without losing its properties, and anodized aluminum can re-enter the recycling stream without the same intermediate processing that may be required for thicker organic coatings or plated finishes. That makes anodizing a strong fit with aluminum’s broader circularity story.

Data collection is becoming increasingly important as well. As more recycled aluminum enters the supply chain, anodizers need better visibility into alloy chemistry, recycled content, surface condition, process variables, energy use, quality outcomes, and waste streams. Better data helps companies improve consistency, reduce variation, support customer sustainability goals, and make better technical decisions.

Ultimately, anodizing supports sustainability not only through recyclability, but through durability, disciplined process control, and better use of aluminum across its full life cycle. The AEC EPD provides a positive data point for anodizing, but the larger story is that anodizing helps aluminum perform better, last longer, and remain part of a highly recyclable material system.

What are the main priorities of the AAC at the moment? What does the Council expect to focus on in the future?

AAC’s main priority right now is increasing the value we deliver to our members and to the broader anodizing supply chain. Our membership is diverse, so we are focused on creating programs and resources that are practical, relevant, and useful for anodizers, suppliers, OEMs, purchasers, and specifiers of anodized finishes.

Two major initiatives are the launch of the first-of-its-kind AAC Certification Program and the new AAC Troubleshooting Guide, both of which are being developed to strengthen technical knowledge, improve consistency, and support workforce development across the industry. We are also continuing to refine our educational programming and annual conference based on direct member feedback.

Looking ahead, AAC will continue to focus on education, advocacy, and promotion, but with a stronger emphasis on industry collaboration, sustainability, technical resources, and market awareness. We want AAC to be the place the industry turns to for reliable information, practical training, and a clearer understanding of the value anodizing brings to aluminum products.

Tell us more about the AAC Certification Program. How will it benefit the industry? What are the next steps in the program’s development?

The AAC Certification Program is one of the most important initiatives currently underway for the Council. The goal is to create a credible, industry-driven program that helps define performance expectations for anodized aluminum finishes and products. This will establish a technically credible, industry driven benchmark for anodized aluminum performance.

The program is being developed around clear technical requirements, test methods, and acceptance criteria for anodized finishes. Importantly, the focus is on the performance of the finished product, not prescribing exactly how every anodizer must run its process. That distinction matters because anodizers serve different markets, use different equipment, and process different forms of aluminum. The specification establishes requirements for both batch and coil anodizing, while also recognizing that performance expectations vary by end-use market, and the type of anodizing specified.

The benefit to the industry is consistency, credibility, and communication. Certification can help anodizers demonstrate capability, help purchasers and specifiers better understand what they are buying, and provide a common benchmark for quality.

The next step is to run a pilot test over the next couple of months. Following the successful completion of that pilot program, AAC plans to move quickly toward launching the certification program. Over time, we see certification becoming a valuable tool for anodizers, suppliers, OEMs, and purchasers of anodized finishes.

What are the areas of education and training that the Council is focused on?

Education and training are central to AAC’s mission, especially as the industry works through workforce challenges and the loss of experienced technical knowledge. Anodizing is a specialized process, so our focus is on practical, industry-specific education that helps companies train their people, improve consistency, and solve problems more effectively.

AAC is focused on education that supports the full operation, from the fundamentals of anodizing and process control to quality, troubleshooting, sustainability, and customer requirements. Just as importantly, we want that education to be useful at every level of a company, from the production floor to management.

We are also expanding how education is delivered. The AAC Regional Forum on July 14 in Salt Lake City is a great example of providing timely education and discussion outside of the annual conference. At our Annual Conference this October in Cincinnati, we are also introducing revised programming that is more focused, efficient, and responsive to member feedback. Ultimately, AAC’s objective is to help companies build stronger teams and preserve the technical knowledge that keeps the anodizing industry moving forward.

The AAC Annual Conference will be held October 6-8 in Cincinnati, OH. What can attendees expect from the event? Why should anodizers, suppliers, OEMs, specifiers, and purchasers of anodized finishes attend?

Attendees can expect a more focused, practical, and engaging AAC Annual Conference this October in Cincinnati. The program and schedule have been built around member feedback, with the goal of making the conference more efficient, more useful, and more relevant to every level of experience.

The conference begins with a revised pre-conference education schedule, including Anodizing Essentials and Advanced Anodizing programming. These sessions are designed to support both newer professionals and those looking to deepen their technical knowledge.

During the main conference, attendees will see reformatted General Focus Sessions built around the issues that matter most to the anodizing industry, including technical education, workforce development, sustainability, quality, troubleshooting, and market opportunities.

The Expo and networking events are also a major part of the experience. They give anodizers, suppliers, OEMs, specifiers, and purchasers of anodized finishes an opportunity to connect, learn, and have some fun with others across the anodizing supply chain.

For anyone involved in anodizing, specifying anodized finishes, supplying the industry, or purchasing finished products, this conference offers practical education, valuable connections, and a clearer view of where the industry is headed.

Do you have any final thoughts you would like to share?

This is an exciting time for the AAC and the anodizing industry. The industry is facing real challenges, including workforce development, changing customer expectations, sustainability, and the need for stronger technical resources. But those challenges also create an opportunity for AAC to deliver more value than ever before.

AAC brings together anodizers, suppliers, OEMs, specifiers, professional members, and purchasers of anodized finishes. That connection across the supply chain is one of our greatest strengths. With new initiatives such as the AAC Certification Program, the AAC Troubleshooting Guide, expanded education, regional forums, and a refreshed Annual Conference, the Council is focused on helping the industry move forward in a practical and meaningful way. Our goal is simple: strengthen the anodizing industry, promote the value of anodized aluminum, and make AAC an even stronger resource for the companies and people we serve.

Jon Ledin, AAC chairman.