Innovation Drives The Protech Group to New Heights

The Protech Group has come a long way in the last 45 years, as the company has expanded into new product lines and markets through acquisitions and organic growth.

Established in 1976 in Montreal, QC, Canada, by Henri Ades and Werner Kaprloat, pioneers in the early development of thermoset powder coatings, the Protech Group has expanded product lines and markets. The company started its liquid coatings division in 2000, thermoplastic coatings division in 2012, and specialty materials division, such as latex and plastisol, in 2017.

Today, Protech Group has more than 20 manufacturing locations across Canada, the United States, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. Protech Group products are delivered in over 90 countries around the world.

Mick Kopis, Marketing Director for the Protech Group, noted that innovation is key to the company’s success.

“The Protech Group is constantly striving to improve by researching new chemistry to solve whatever challenges our customers present to us,” Kopis said. “Innovation is at the heart of everything we develop and manufacture. If our current product lines don’t suit exact requirements, we have the ability to custom engineer one that will. We won’t stop until we accommodate our customers technical needs, from custom chemistry and colors to unique application and durability requirements. We also continuously upgrade existing formulas by working collaboratively with our customers.”

David Ades, President of the Protech Group, added that the Protech Group has expanded its product and brand portfolio over time, from thermoset powders, thermoplastics, liquids to specialty materials.

“This full-suite of coating solutions enables broader expertise, application flexibility, and products that benefits customers by optimizing quality and end-use specifications and regulatory requirements,” he said. “On top of that, the Protech Group is a privately-owned, family-run business. Keeping that family spirit in mind, we enable, empower, and inspire our people to help them succeed in their own career paths, with a genuine, approachable manner. This allows us to increase employee morale and boost retention.”

The Protech Group has made a series of acquisitions in recent years. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Protech Group has acquired five businesses, including the thermoset powder coatings business of ACG industries (Gondecourt, France) and Lynx Thermoset Coating Ltd (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) and the liquid paints businesses of Excalibur Paints & Coatings Ltd. (Wichita Falls, TX, USA), and Winslow Browning Inc. (Liberty, IN, USA). Most recently, the company acquired the specialty materials business of Dyvex Industries (Carbondale, PA).

These acquisitions all fit nicely with The Protech Group’s approach, which includes adding innovative products and more production facilities while entering new markets.

“Our acquisition strategy consists of increasing our capabilities through new formulations and coating finishes; expanding our list of customers, markets, and end-product finishing; and adding new production facilities to keep up with demand, or adding quick turnaround distribution centers to warehouse hundreds of stock colours for nearby customers,” Ades observed.

The addition of Excalibur Paints & Coatings is an example of Protech Group’s approach.
“This acquisition strengthens our liquid coatings capabilities,” said Ades. “It allows us to expand our customer base, keep up with the growing demand, and offer a great depth of solutions to them.”

The company is also emphasizing organic growth. In November 2021, Protech Group announced plans to expand its Opava, The Czech Republic, production facility to 33,000 square feet. Set to be completed in late 2022, this will increase thermoset powder coatings production capacity for the Protech Group to keep up with demand in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Ades said that we can expect more acquisitions from Protech Group in the coming years.

“Aside from organic growth, acquisitions are a key growth strategy at the Protech Group,” he added. “We are continuously scouting coating businesses for strategic acquisitions to better our position in the market around the world. We also have a large licensee network for businesses partners looking to formulate Protech Group products.

“The Protech Group is looking to solidify its status as a leader in the coatings industry,” Kopis concluded. “Following a major rebrand and new website in 2021, the company will now be looking to elevate its overall experience for customers through its new one-stop coating shop approach. Internally, the company is upgrading all systems and equipment to ensure scalability and progressive growth.”