Becker Industrial Coatings is a coating specialist, able to provide solutions on the spot, locally or globally
By Ian Armitage
Becker Industrial Coatings, the industrial paint division of AB Wilh Becker, supplies coatings for the industrial finishing of metal and plastic. It is the European market leader for coil coating paints and a key supplier of special coating systems for industry.
Manufacturing and marketing industrial coatings - paints applied to products as they are made in factories - Becker Industrial Coatings concentrates, specifically, on supplying technologically advanced coatings for processes with lower environmental impact such as coil coatings.
South Africa
Becker Industrial Coatings Pty (Ltd) is the firm’s South African subsidiary. Its origins can be traced back to 1982 and it has grown to an international player.The South African facility is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and focuses, primarily, on coil coating – typically used in cladding and roofing. But, it does not end there, as this product is extremely versatile.
“The coil coaters, of which there are just three in South Africa, use our coatings on a variety of applications,” says Clive Macaskill, MD. “You see, we are much more than a paint supplier.”
Indeed it is; at the cutting edge of paint technology, Becker Industrial Coatings not only develops new solutions to current problems, the company also helps clients generate new market opportunities by developing coatings for tomorrow’s applications.
“Our strength is innovation, coupled with our attention to detail,” says Macaskill. “That is what has brought us to where we are today; we have grown to the point where we have got about 50 percent of the local market and we also export considerably into Africa.”
A long history
Becker Industrial Coatings started to develop paints for pre-coating technology, in Sweden, as early as the 1940s. Using this platform, it quickly expanded into the Nordic regions and then conquered Central European markets.
By the mid-1980s, Becker Industrial Coatings was European market leader in coil coatings and growth soon followed outside Europe, with the firm issuing a large number of licensing agreements.
Most of these have since been transformed into joint ventures or have become independent local production units.
Becker Industrial Coatings has been active in South Africa, via one such licence agreement, since 1982. And, following the acquisition of a local coil coatings manufacturer Advanced Coatings from Dekro Paint in 1999, the company invested in a major upgrade of production, laboratory and office facilities, in parallel with an expansion of the workforce. It has also established a creative relationship with Hulamin Aluminium, which operates one of the most modern aluminium rolling mills in the world.
“Becker Industrial Coatings South Africa is now one of the country’s major industrial coatings manufacturers,” says Macaskill.
“A key factor in our success is its highly de-centralised structure,” he adds. “From local to global, we provide solutions on the spot.”
Growth market in coil coatings
Becker has grown considerably in South Africa and it is a real success story.
Most of its growth has come in the roofing market through key customers like Global Roofing Solutions (GRS), a dynamic company, which provides a full range of roofing profiles, from concealed fix to pierced fix and coated metal tiles. Its coil-coated products are a key feature of a series of prestigious buildings and the firm is active in a number of other African countries, including Ghana, Tanzania, Angola, Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria. This too represents a great opportunity for the firm.
“Through the economic crisis we have kept on growing and for the next year and a half we see good growth ahead,” explains Macaskill. “There is lots of business, especially in South Africa, where we expect to grow substantially.” He adds: “The growth will come from new customers. The 2010 FIFA World Cup, for one, has had a direct effect on demand and we are very excited for the future.”
Environmental policy
Becker Industrial Coatings is at the forefront of developing products that combine beauty and function with environmental compatibility.
“We are continuously striving to use substances in products that minimise the environmental impact as far as it is technically feasible and financially viable,” says Macaskill, who says that his plant is currently pursuing ISO 14001 accreditation.
“We are focused on quality and the environment,” he continues.
“We try to keep up with international standards and as such are becoming greener and working in a more environmentally responsible way.
“When it comes to coating material – no matter what it might be - quality should not be neglected and neither should be the environment.”
The Future and beyond
Working primarily in the roofing sector, Becker Industrial Coatings’ product range meets every demand.
“Becker Industrial Coatings’ laboratories will tailor exactly the right product for every requirement,” says Macaskill. “Why? Well we want a quality coating, as a quality coating will raise the value of the object, improve its desirability, as well as safeguard it against weather or the elements,” he continues.
“For us, quality is very important; our name is built on it.” He adds: “What’s next for us? We would like to increase our business volume significantly and, as such, our main focus is on seeking growth opportunities.
“We also want to make sure there is confidence in the market too when it comes to coil coating and, to achieve that, we have to make sure that the quality is as high as it can be. We don’t want failures; we want quality.”
Becker Industrial Coatings, says Macaskill is currently expanding its capacity and, within the next year or two, will be building a new R&D unit.
“R&D is vital,” he concludes. “We have to keep up with technology and, with the expansion of the business, we need to ensure we are coming up with new ideas and solving the problems of industry.”