I’m Michael Bustin, the industry’s first-ever Material Brand Critic™, with 25+ years driving, branding, and elevating bold material brands across the global built environment.

 

From my earliest days learning from my father, a machinist,  pipefitter and fabricator, materials have been in my DNA. Today, that passion powers The Bustinator™ - more than a persona, it’s the embodiment of my energy, enthusiasm, and no-bullshit drive to help material brands torch the beige.

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My career has taken me from developing award-winning high performance & sustainable concrete materials to building a global solid surface brand that stood toe-to-toe with industry giants, to owning and selling a modern material + product manufacturing company acquired by Landscape Forms in 2012.

 

I’ve played at the level where materials don’t just get pitched, they get specified, designed in, and built out. From bold surfaces and crafted fixtures to furniture and the essentials that shape every space, the materials I’ve driven have landed in projects worldwide through the hands of renowned designers and architects. Bottom line, I know exactly what it takes to get spec’d, stand out, and win at the highest level.

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Now, through Material AF™, I advise, audit, and rebuild material brands from the inside out. That work spans everything from go-to-market strategies, sample kits, collateral, and packaging to material R&D and the operations that fuel it. I help material manufacturers and marketers sharpen their edge, wipe out inefficiencies, and create bold brand experiences that designers crave, specifiers choose, and competitors can’t touch.

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No Beige. No Boring. Just Bold AF. ™