Meet David Coffield – Our inside sales in Expanite Inc.
First of all: What is your background, and how did you end up in Expaninte?
Probably not the background you would expect! I have degrees in fine arts and digital media production, as well as a master’s degree focused on user experience design. I’ve also done quite a few different things over the years. I’ve worked in restaurants, including as a sous chef, in construction and manufacturing, and my wife and I even ran a stained-glass business for about five years.
Before joining Expanite, I worked in user experience design, where my job was to understand customers’ pain points and
business objectives and then help design digital solutions around them. That meant working with customers, designers and developers, conducting research and testing solutions.
I joined Expanite in March 2025 after somebody I knew who worked here suggested that my
background and ability to work with people might make me a good fit. It turned out he was right.
How would someone who knows you well describe you?
I would like to think people would say I’m creative and loyal. I’m naturally curious and tend to think both creatively and critically. I question why something works the way it does and whether there’s an easier way of doing it.
What’s a typical day like for you at Expanite Inc?
The first thing I normally do is catch up on emails from Europe and anything relating to order handling. Then I check in with the production team and meet with our Sales Manager to discuss customers, leads and quotations. After that, every day can be different. I manage and maintain customer orders, help with shipping and freight, support production, research leads and, when workload allows it help with marketing projects.
Because I’m close to both customers and production, I can also help production understand what’s coming through the pipeline. If we have an express order or something important on its way, we can plan for it early.
You also have a strong digital background. Which tools do you use?
Quite a few! I use our Fenris production planning platform and Zoho CRM and Desk, but I also work with Google Analytics, Leadfeeder, LinkedIn and some design and research tools.
I’ve also started using AI quite extensively for building applications and for research. I like experimenting with technology and finding ways of making things more efficient.
What has been the biggest learning curve since joining Expanite?
Definitely the technology. I came from a completely different world, so there has been a lot to learn about metallurgy and surface hardening. I understand the fundamentals now, but I want to understand much more about the science of what actually happens to the material during treatment.
I enjoy learning. Before coming here, I didn’t even know you could essentially become a “wizard of metal.” Now I find it fascinating.
How do you approach customer service?
My basic philosophy is: don’t overcomplicate things.
Customers are busy, and quite often Expanite is one of the final stages in the production of their component. They want to send us the part, have it treated correctly and get it back quickly.
So I try to keep communication direct, use their part numbers and terminology, and avoid creating unnecessary work for them. Shipping is part of that too. We use tracking wherever possible and proactively share information, so customers always know where their components are
How important is sustainability to North American customers?
For me personally, sustainability is very important – I love planet Earth. From a commercial perspective, its importance varies by customer and by geography. I find it tends to be a stronger topic in Canada than in the US, but customers everywhere care about responsible production. That gives Expanite a good story to tell. Our surface-hardening technology does not rely on harsh
chemicals or acid baths, and I see that as a powerful differentiator. Sustainability may not always be the first thing a customer asks about, but it is an important additional benefit of the Expanite solution – and for many customers, it is a significant factor.
What do you think differentiates Expanite from larger suppliers?
Access and speed.
If one of my customers asks a technical question, I’m basically one person away from the answer. I can go directly to one of our technical experts and get the information the customer needs.
There aren’t multiple layers of management or complicated communication channels. We’re an agile, close-knit organization, and that makes the line of communication very quick and efficient.
We’re also very open in sharing our knowledge with customers. I think that combination of technical expertise, responsiveness and openness is a major strength.
Can you give an example?
Recently, a customer had an urgent order that needed to move through Expanite and then immediately on to another supplier for the next processing step. Instead of sending the components back to the customer and making them arrange another shipment, I
organised the freight directly from Expanite to their next supplier. I managed the logistics and kept the customer updated throughout.
Because we went that extra mile it saved the customer both time and money and helped them meet a
very tight deadline.
That’s the kind of customer service I like: understand what the customer actually needs and then make
their life easier
What advice would you give someone starting in a commercial role at Expanite
Spend some time in production. You don’t necessarily need to know every temperature, pressure or process parameter, but seeing what happens to the components and understanding how the production flow works makes a huge difference.
If you understand the technology and understand the Expanite processes, you’re much better equipped to talk to customers and help solve their problems.
About Expanite
Expanite offers state-of-the-art solutions for surface hardening treatment of stainless steels and titanium.
With Expanite’s processes, it is possible to increase the material’s surface hardness tenfold while at the same time maintaining and even increasing its corrosion resistance. Expanite is a global organization with a combined development and production facility near Copenhagen, Denmark, and hardening capacity in both US, Germany, Korea and China. Expanite’s solutions are flexible and can be introduced directly into a customer’s own production line as part of a licensing arrangement. Learn more on www.expanite.com.