Finishing Systems Provider Celebrates 150 Years, Looks to Future

Koch Finishing Systems, a leading provider of finishing solutions for industrial applications, is celebrating 150 years of business. The company designs and manufactures a wide range of custom finishing equipment including powder coating systems, liquid painting systems, plating/anodizing systems, surface treatment equipment and environmental solutions, and serves a diverse range of industries including automotive, agriculture, construction, aerospace, defense and general manufacturing.

The company was first founded in 1873 by George Koch as a tin shop in Evansville, Indiana. After decades of using manual spray equipment and searching for new efficiencies in its own process, the company used its expertise to develop its first turnkey automated paint finishing system in 1930.

That initial vision grew into a larger idea and Koch’s business became focused on providing cutting-edge finishing solutions for industrial applications. In the 1960s, Koch Finishing Systems developed the first commercial electrocoat system in North America and expanded its solution offerings to include powder coating systems. In recent years, Koch Finishing Systems has grown in Western Europe and Mexico, and through acquisitions of Jessup Systems and PriceWalgren in the U.S.

Over the years, Koch evolved through a series of acquisitions to become a fifth-generation family-owned holding company, Koch Enterprises (KEI), comprising seven autonomous companies — including Koch Finishing Systems. Throughout this steady growth, the company has become one of the most trusted names in the industry.

Today Koch’s offerings comprise turnkey equipment solutions for liquid, powder coating, plating, anodizing and ecoating. The company is also a supplier of additional related equipment including hoists, material handling equipment, processing barrels, sound absorption panels and acoustic equipment.

Meeting a vital need

The equipment and services that Koch provides play an important role in today’s industrial trends. Automations and efficiencies are becoming increasingly important in the finishing industry as businesses struggle with finding and maintaining skilled workers. This is coupled with rising demand for equipment due to the growth of manufacturing in the U.S. and Mexico driven by trends toward reshoring and nearshoring. Koch’s process lines employ the latest technologies and smart solutions available for surface finishing.

In the world of surface finishing, investments in automated equipment require a full understanding of finishing processes and a facility’s needs. Koch emphasizes working closely with its customers through all aspects of the design, manufacture and installation of its finishing systems.

“The time and effort and the success of a project all depends on pre-planning,” says Koch Finishing Systems president Dan Hoefling.

Nick Dawson, sales account manager, adds, “Some [customers] have existing lines and know all about the finishing industry, and then some are completely new to it and looking for direction on where to go with their powder, liquid, ecoat, plating or anodizing. We adapt and cater to all their needs, whether they’re experienced in the industry or just getting into it.”

Koch puts an emphasis on open communication with its customers from start to finish. The company involves the finisher from the initial assessment of the facility or job site, to putting together a proposal, designing customized solutions, overseeing the installation and providing training and support.

“We call it a project execution plan,” says Seth Johannemann, director of project execution. “We provide everything we can [including] detailed sequence of install, as well as breaking down scopes of work for our field installers so that we can minimize our time in the field and disruption to [the customer’s] throughput of their product for production.”

Johannemann says the commissioning phase of equipment installation involves in-depth training for the customer that involves an overview of equipment operations in a classroom setting as well as hands-on training at the human-machine interface (HMI) and the processing equipment.

Josh Gilberg, general manager of Koch’s Evansville location, adds, “We like to get our customers involved as early on as we can in the process, even at the design level. The sooner we can get production and maintenance staff engaged, the better, because those are the individuals who are going to be living with that system day in and day out.”

Koch’s full-service approach is a large aspect of what characterizes the company, and it emphasizes consistency across operations at each of its locations. Andres Cavezza, operations manager for Koch Mexico, began with the company 11 years ago and has worked as an engineer in numerous company locations from Indiana to Michigan to the U.K. prior to assuming his current role. He says that close coordination with Koch’s other locations helps to provide consistency in operations.

Dawson echoes this sentiment, “Cross-training is big at Koch. For example, the Evansville division does ecoat, powder and liquid; Grand Rapids and Rochester Hills focus on anodizing and plating — I came from a liquid and powder background, so I did some cross-training with Rochester Hills to learn more about the plating side of our industry.”

Safety and environmental responsibility

One of the largest manufacturing trends shaping the future of the industry is growing global awareness of sustainability and environmental concerns. Koch embraces that responsibility throughout all aspects of its installation process. Making sure that the systems that are being designed help customers meet their goals and comply with environmental regulations is paramount. A lot of factors, including plant location, factor into the considerations the company takes into account for each of its installations.

“We’re really focused on carbon neutrality right now, especially in Europe, where there’s a lot of focus on going all electric and limiting carbon fuel sources,” Hoefling says. “A lot of industrial infrastructure in Europe — especially at some of the large sites — is already wind and solar. Heat recovery and water reuse are big areas of focus.”

Depending on location, environmental regulations may differ and accounting for local policies and each customer’s own safety protocols all have to be considered. Cavezza explains, “We comply with OSHA, and we comply with the Mexican regulations, for safety and for the environment as well.”

Cavezza says this starts with a full inspection of the installation site. “If there is an existing building, we check the foundation and columns, the access ramps — our systems are massive. We need to have a good entrance into the plant and into the building.”

Looking to the future

Today, after 150 years of serving the finishing industry, Koch remains committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation, delivering cutting-edge solutions, and exceeding customer expectations. As automation trends in manufacturing continue to evolve, the company is working to meet finishing operations where their comfort level with the technology and specific needs lie.

Gilberg says a lot of factors dictate that decision from the customer’s process to considerations over cybersecurity. He says, “It’s always a conversation we have very early on with our customers — what level of smarts do they want within their systems? And how can we provide the solution that offers that?”

“We’re constantly evolving our technology and our system monitoring — and many customers use that for predictive maintenance and downtime avoidance,” Johannemann adds. “We’re going to provide that to the customer in an application on a phone or a tablet or their computer. So, they can get a live feed remotely or wherever they want to be, as long as they have internet or wireless access.”

In the midst of all the talk of automation, Koch is quick to bring the focus back where it ultimately belongs — the people. Industry 4.0 and smart solutions provide new valuable tools, but the technicians who run them are the heart of the industry. You don’t run a business for 150 years without planning its future leadership. Dawson says that Koch’s approach to mentorship and cross-training within the company as well as its mission to educate and support its customers’ teams exemplify its commitment to the future of the finishing industry.

“They’re bringing in younger talent to learn the industry and take the business into the next generation,” he says.

Throughout its history, Koch Finishing Systems has defined itself through growth and constant change. As the needs of the finishings industry continue to evolve, the company remains a proven industry partner committed to the finish of its customers’ products.