Why We Do Shows

We got a chance to chat with James Hostetler, Vice President of TMS Titanium, at the 2022 PRI Show in Indianapolis about the benefits of going on the road to talk titanium. His thoughts touch on several of the attributes that make titanium one of the most dynamic metals on the commercial market.

Since our headquarters are in Poway, California, it is hard to show off what we do and get the right kind of exposure to this group of people, primarily the racing and racing fabrication industry. There are thousands of exhibitors at PRI and even more attendees. To have all those people under one roof is incredible. We have dealt with some of these people for years and never got to get face-to-face with them. Putting a face to a name and shaking a hand is a big deal. The ability to talk with our customers or potential customers about the benefits of titanium is critical.

Our challenge is we don't have a product someone can bolt onto a race car. We deal with raw materials whether it's rods, plates, or blocks. You need a machinist or fabricator to turn our product into a part or a knife or a piece of medical equipment. We always have some examples of products that have been made from TMS Titanium on hand and to be able to touch and feel some of the parts that are made from our material is incredible. The comparison of steel weight to titanium weight is huge for us. When people pick up a titanium part and can compare it to a steel part it tells the whole story. A lot of times people will pick up a titanium bolt and can't believe it is titanium. They think it is plastic. We have to assure them it is metal and titanium.

We want to draw people in so through the show we will have drivers or automotive celebrities in our booth. We also like to get benefit from our ambassadors' platforms on social media and in their circles. They are so generous with their time and in promoting TMS Titanium we can't thank them enough. We will do autograph sessions, but they will talk about using our products and how it helps with their racecar or their specialty builds. The best part about these celebrity relationships is we are working with them to be creative with our products. They are coming up with new ideas and uses for titanium and our goal is to turn their vision into reality.

PRI was a big show for us and then the next biggest for us will be the SHOT Show this past January which is a huge gun show. Titanium is great for suppressors. It is lightweight and that is important because the suppressor is at the end of the barrel. The firearms community loves titanium and we are seeing it more in gun mechanisms. One of the advantages there is you don't have to coat the titanium or paint it when the part is made. You are saving on an outside process which is a nice benefit. Titanium is also ultra-corrosion resistant which is great for guns. We have always been in the gun industry but we are seeing more interest and orders every day.

Ultimately the benefits for TMS Titanium at trade shows are we get the chance to highlight the attributes of titanium its strength, its weight advantage, and our customer service.