Large Coating Job Shops

Several years ago Products Finishing initiated a survey of large paint/powder coating job shops. We expected it would generate some interest among our readers. It did. However, we found that the information remained pretty much the same each year, so we changed our survey from annual to biennial.

The survey answers indicate that nearly every company is growing. Some have hired more employees, while others have added to their facilities or built additional facilities. For example, MetoKote, headquartered in Lima, Ohio, has built or acquired three new facilities and added 377 workers since the last survey. Industrial Coating Services, Indianapolis, Indiana, has added 80 employees and 145,000 sq ft of space.

To make this year's survey a bit more interesting, we asked what the companies/survey respondents would like for Christmas and their New Year's resolutions.

Most responded that they would like to see an increase in business or a more profitable new year. Dennis Walters of Acme Finishing in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, said that he would like to see the level of activity for custom coaters to remain strong in the U.S. Other Christmas wishes were for good employees, less government regulation and painting robots. Several also had special wishes for the health and prosperity of their employees and customers.

Most of the New Year's resolutions revolved around improving the company. Some wanted better communications, such as Sabrina Burkhead of Linetec, Wausau, Wisconsin, who said that she resolved to improve communications within the company, among managers as well as with customers.

Others, such as Lowell Horwedel of E/M, West Lafayette, Indiana, resolved to work on continuing upgrades of the company's facilities and personnel. Dennis Walters of Acme Finishing resolved to improve the flexibility of his production equipment and work force to achieve even faster job turnaround time. However, Thomas Segrave of American Coating Technologies in Greenville, North Carolina, said that he has no resolutions. If you have to wait until the New Year it is not worth doing. Do it now!

The sidebars in the article highlight each company that responded. If you are or know of a company that should be included, let us know. The Vulcan Group was one we missed in previous surveys. And one can see it belongs in this group of large coating job shops. PF

Industrial Power Coatings

Norwalk, Ohio
419-668-4436
Employees: 650
Annual Sales: More than $25 million
Facilities: 6
Combined Sq Ft: 525,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum, plastics, alloys
Pretreatment: Iron and zinc phosphate
Coatings: Powder, electrocoating
Application Techniques: Electrocoat, electrostatic spray, robotics
Curing System: Convection, infrared

Springco Metal Coating Inc.

Cleveland, Ohio
216-941-0020
Employees: 195
Annual Sales: $5 to 10 million
Facilities: 1
Combined Sq Ft: 120,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum and others
Pretreatment: Zinc phosphate
Coatings: Electrocoating, powders
Application Techniques: Electrocoating, electrostatic spray, blow coating (also electroplate zinc)
Curing System: Convection

Linetec Company

Wausau, Wisconsin
715-843-4100
fax: 715-843-4107
Employees: 250
Annual Sales: $15 to 25 million
Facilities: 2
Combined Sq Ft: 150,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum
and plastic
Pretreatment: Chromium phosphate
Coatings: Conventional solvent,
water-borne, lacquer
Application Techniques: Air-atomize
spray, HVLP, high-speed rotational
bells, electrostatic spray
Curing System: Convection
and infrared

JapEnameLac Corporation

Chelmsford, Massachusetts
508-256-2212
Employees: 60
Annual Sales: $1 to 5 million
Facilities: 1
Combined Sq Ft: 31,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum
and plastic
Pretreatment: iron phosphate,
chromate
Coatings: High-solids, water-borne,
powders
Application Techniques: HVLP,
electrostatic spray
Curing System: Convection

MetoKote Corporation

Lima, Ohio
419-227-1100
fax: 419-227-1043
Employees: 1,177
Annual Sales: More than $25 million
Facilities: 17
Combined Sq Ft: 1.5 million
Substrates: Steel, aluminum,
plastic, magnesium
Pretreatment: Iron and zinc
phosphate, chromate
Coatings: Conventional solvents,
electrocoating, powder coatings,
water-borne
Application Techniques: Air-
assisted-airless spray, air atomize,
airless spray, electrocoat,
electrostatic spray
Curing System: Convection,
infrared, UV

The Crown Group

(Includes Crown Group Ecorse, Crown Group Detroit, Crown Group Livonia, Crown Group Portland, Crown Group Fort Wayne)
Warren, Michigan
810-575-9800
fax: 810-575-9856
Employees: 642
Annual Sales: More than $25 million
Facilities: 5
Combined Sq Ft: 514,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum,
plastic, magnesium
Pretreatment: zinc, iron phosphates,
power wash
Coatings: Conventional solvent,
electrocoating, high-solids,
water-borne
Application Techniques: Air-
assisted-airless spray, air-atomize
spray, airless spray, HVLP,
electrocoating, high-speed
rotational bells, electrostatic spray
Curing System: Convection, infrared

K&H Finishing

San Jose, California
408-946-5440
fax: 408-946-0141
Employees: 100
Annual Sales: $15 to 25 million
Facilities: 1
Combined Sq Ft: 69,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum, plastic
Pretreatment: Zinc phosphate,
chromate conversion
Coatings: Conventional solvents,
high-solids, powder, water-borne,
lacquer
Application Techniques: Air-
atomize, airless spray, HVLP,
electrostatic spray, robotics
Curing System: Convection

American Coating Technologies

Greenville, North Carolina
919-758-8998
Employees: 80
Annual Sales: $5 to 10 million
Facilities: 1
Combined Sq Ft: 65,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum
Pretreatment: Zinc phosphate
Coatings: Electrocoating, powder
Application Techniques: Air-atomize
spray, electrocoat, electrostatic
spray
Curing System: Convection

E/M Corporation

West Lafayette, Indiana
317-497-6336
fax: 317-497-6348
Employees: 350
Annual Sales: More than $25 million
Facilities: 14
Combined Sq Ft: 400,000+
Substrates: Steel, aluminum,
plastics, others
Pretreatment: Phosphate,
chromate, anodize
Coatings: Conventional solvents,
high-solids, powder, water-borne
Application Techniques: Air-
assisted-airless spray, air-atomize,
airless, dip coating, HVLP, high-
speed rotational bells, electrostatic
spray, hot spray, robotics.
Curing System: Convection,
infrared, UV

Acme Finishing Co., Inc.

Elk Grove Village, Illinois
708-640-7890
fax: 708-640-0298
Employees: 98
Annual Sales: $5 to 10 million
Facilities: 1
Combined Sq Ft: 60,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum, plastic,
cast iron, magnesium
Coatings: Conventional solvents,
high-solids, powder, water-borne
Application Techniques: Air-atomize
spray, dip coating, HVLP, high-
speed rotational bells, electrostatic
spray
Curing System: Convection, infrared

Chicago Finished Metals

Bridgeview, Illinois
708-233-2523

Employees: 250
Annual Sales: More than $25 million
Facilities: 3
Combined Sq Ft: N/A
Substrates: Steel, aluminum
Pretreatment: Chrome-free
pretreatment or chromate
Coatings: Conventional solvent
Application Technique: Coil Coating
Curing System: Convection, infrared

Teknicote

Central Falls, Rhode Island
401-724-2230
Employees: 100
Annual Sales: $5 to 10 million
Facilities: 3
Combined Sq Ft: 100,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum, other
Pretreatment: Degrease, iron
phosphate
Coatings: Powder
Application Techniques: Electro-
static spray, robotics
Curing System: Convection, infrared

The Vulcan Group

Bessemer, Alabama
205-428-0556
Employees: 150
Annual Sales: $10 to 15 million
Facilities: 3
Combined Sq Ft: 185,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum
Pretreatment: zinc and iron
phosphate, sandblasting
Coatings: Conventional solvents,
electrocoating, high-solids,
powder, water-borne
Application Techniques: Air-
assisted-airless spray, air-atomize
spray, airless spray, HVLP,
electrocoat, electrostatic spray,
fiberglass spray, robotics
Curing System: Convection

Brainerd Industries

Dayton, Ohio
513-228-0488
Employees: 125
Annual Sales: $5 to 10 million
Facilities: 1
Combined Sq Ft: 80,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum
Coatings: High-solids
Application Techniques: Air-atomize
spray, high-speed rotational bell,
electrostatic spray
Curing System: Convection

Industrial Coating Services

Indianapolis, Indiana
317-322-7450
317-322-7459
Employees: 200
Annual Sales: $5 to 10 million
Facilities: 3
Combined Sq Ft: 200,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum, die
cast parts
Pretreatment: Iron and zinc
phosphate, chrome and non-
chrome seals
Coatings: Powder, water-borne,
electrocoating, high-solids
Application Techniques: Air-
assisted-airless spray, dip coating,
HVLP, electrocoating, high-speed
rotational bells, electrostatic spray
Curing System: Convection, infrared

B.L. Downey Co., Inc.

Broadview, Illinois
708-345-8017

Employees: 175
Annual Sales: $10 to 15 million
Facilities: 1
Combined Sq Ft: 165,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum
Coatings: Powder, electrocoating
Application Techniques: Dip
coating, electrostatic spray,
electrocoating
Curing System: Convection

PreFinish Metals

Chicago, Illinois
708-806-2189
Employees: 600
Annual Sales: More than $25 million
Facilities: 3
Combined Sq Ft: 380,000
Substrates: Steel, aluminum
Coatings: Conventional solvent
Application Techniques: Coil coating
Curing System: High-velocity cure

We would like to hear from you if you are a larger shop or are aware of any larger shops that have not been surveyed in the past two years. Send your suggestions to PRODUCTS FINISHING, 6600 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45244-4090 or fax them to 513-231-2818.