Creative Liquid Coatings
Creative Liquid Coatings is a privately held full-service automotive manufacturing supplier offering injection molding, painting, chrome plating, assembly, and design services across eight plants in five U.S. states, serving OEM and Tier 1/2 suppliers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersKendallville, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Creative Liquid Coatings does
Creative Liquid Coatings (CLC) is a privately held, full-service manufacturing services provider founded in 1994 and headquartered in Kendallville, Indiana. The company serves OEM manufacturers and Tier 1/Tier 2 suppliers primarily in the automotive industry, offering five integrated core services: injection molding (machines from 100 to 5,000 Tons processing thermoplastics including ABS, ASA, PA, PC, PC-ASA, PC-ABS, PE, PET, PMMA, POM, PS, and TPO), painting and surface finishing (two automated lines with 24 Fanuc robots in a 316,000 sq. ft. flagship facility, supporting 100+ OEM paint colors), chrome plating (bright, satin hexavalent, and trivalent chrome including plating on plastic), assembly and value-add (from simple clip/tape/bonding/welding to robotic work cells with camera verification, torque monitoring, and poka-yoke), and design services delivered through an Internal Advanced Engineering Team. CLC holds IATF 16949 automotive quality certification (valid through August 2027), ISO 14001:2015 environmental certification (valid through 2027), and OEM Green Rated status on both paint lines.
The company operates eight manufacturing plants across five U.S. states (Indiana with three plants plus HQ, Kentucky, South Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, and Texas) plus a dedicated CLC Engineering & Technology Center in Kendallville, employing 501-1,000 people. The July 2022 acquisition of major assets of McKechnie Vehicle Components added chrome plating capability and some of the largest plating tanks in the region, completing an integrated molding-to-finished-part service stack.
CLC's business model is direct enterprise field sales with quote-based pricing (Request a Quote process on the website) and no intermediary distribution. Revenue is generated through per-part manufacturing fees for injection molding, painting, and chrome plating services, plus per-assembly or labor-based fees for value-add work. The company is led by CEO Stephen Geist and appears to be independently owned with no disclosed external private equity or venture capital investment, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with custom contract manufacturing.
Creative Liquid Coatings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Creative Liquid Coatings
- Legal name
- Creative Liquid Coatings, Inc.
- Website
- https://creativeliquidcoatings.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Creative Liquid Coatings is a privately held full-service automotive manufacturing supplier offering injection molding, painting, chrome plating, assembly, and design services across eight plants in five U.S. states, serving OEM and Tier 1/2 suppliers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Creative Liquid Coatings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Plastic Component Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261), Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328)
- SIC
- Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Custom Injection Molding & Contract Manufacturing (Job Shops/CMs) (IMANAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Powder Coating Services (IMAIAKAD)
Keywords
Where Creative Liquid Coatings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kendallville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Creative Liquid Coatings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Injection Molding Services: CNC thermoplastic injection molding services using machines from 100 Tons to 5000 Tons, processing commodity grades to engineered thermoplastic resins. Revenue is generated through per-part manufacturing fees based on mold complexity, material selection, and volume.
- Painting & Surface Finishing: Automated paint and surface finishing services using electrostatic coating and robotic application across two OEM Green Rated paint lines. Revenue is generated through finishing services billed per part or per production run.
- Chrome Plating: Chrome plating services including bright, satin, and trivalent chrome on plastic and metal substrates. Acquired as part of McKechnie Vehicle Components asset acquisition in July 2022. Revenue from plating services per part.
- Assembly & Value-Added Services: Assembly services ranging from simple clip/tape/bonding/welding to complex robotic automation. Includes adhesive bonding, foam tape, clips, rivets, fasteners, decals, sonic/vibration/ultrasonic welding. Revenue through per-assembly or labor-based fees.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
Creative Liquid Coatings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creative Liquid Coatings is a full-service contract manufacturer providing injection molding, painting and surface finishing, chrome plating, assembly and value-add, and design services primarily to OEM and Tier 1/2 automotive suppliers. The company operates 8 manufacturing plants across 5 US states and processes thermoplastics on presses from 100 to 5000 Tons, applies automated robotic paint finishes, and performs hexavalent and trivalent chrome plating on plastic and metal components.
Product overview
Creative Liquid Coatings is a full-service manufacturing services provider offering an integrated portfolio of five core services: Injection Molding (processing thermoplastics on machines from 100 to 5000 Tons), Painting & Surface Finishing (316,000 sq. ft. facility with automated paint lines and Fanuc robots), Chrome Plating (bright, satin, and trivalent chrome acquired from McKechnie Vehicle Components), Assembly & Value Add (simple to complex automation), and Design Services (internal engineering team). These services are designed to support OEM and Tier suppliers primarily in the automotive sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Injection Molding
- Painting & Surface Finishing
- Chrome Plating
- Assembly & Value Add
- Design Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 24 automated Fanuc paint robots across 2 paint lines delivering consistent finish quality
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Creative Liquid Coatings
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Creative Liquid Coatings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Creative Liquid Coatings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- McKechnie Vehicle ComponentscoreCreative Liquid Coatings acquired the major assets of McKechnie Vehicle Components in July 2022, adding chrome plating capability to its injection molding and painting services. The acquired chrome plating line features some of the largest tanks in the region with high throughput capability, including bright, satin hexavalent chrome and trivalent chrome options, with tanks designed and built by ATOTECH.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Creative Liquid Coatings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Flex-N-Gate: US-based Tier 1 automotive supplier with integrated plastic molding, painting, chrome plating, and assembly capabilities serving OEMs. Highly comparable vertically integrated model and customer base to CLC.
- IAC Group (International Automotive Components): Global supplier of interior plastic components and trim, with injection molding, foaming, and assembly capabilities serving automotive OEMs. Comparable in plastic processing and OEM/Tier 1 customer overlap.
- Lacks Enterprises: Specialist automotive chrome plating and decorative trim supplier serving Tier 1s and OEMs. Direct comparable to CLC's chrome plating line and trivalent/hexavalent chrome offerings.
- Inhance Technologies: Provider of surface treatment and finishing technologies for plastic components, including paint replacement and adhesion promotion. Comparable to CLC's surface finishing business serving automotive plastics applications.
- Penda Corporation: US-based automotive plastic parts manufacturer producing truck bed liners, fenders, and other large molded components. Comparable in large-tonnage injection molding and Tier 1/OEM supply model.
- Plastic Omnium: Global automotive supplier specializing in exterior and structural plastic components, including injection-molded body panels and painted parts. Comparable in plastics manufacturing and surface finishing for OEM programs.
- Novares: European-headquartered automotive plastic parts supplier with injection molding and assembly for OEMs. Comparable in custom injection molded plastics and OEM supply chain integration, though primarily European in footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Magna International: Largest North American automotive Tier 1 with exteriors, plastics, and complete vehicle programs. Overlaps with CLC on injection-molded and painted body panels but at vastly greater scale and scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Creative Liquid Coatings social profiles
Digital presenceCreative Liquid Coatings compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Creative Liquid Coatings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Creative Liquid Coatings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Creative Liquid Coatings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Creative Liquid Coatings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Creative Liquid Coatings
What does Creative Liquid Coatings do?
Creative Liquid Coatings is a full-service contract manufacturer providing injection molding, painting and surface finishing, chrome plating, assembly and value-add, and design services primarily to OEM and Tier 1/2 automotive suppliers. The company operates 8 manufacturing plants across 5 US states and processes thermoplastics on presses from 100 to 5000 Tons, applies automated robotic paint finishes, and performs hexavalent and trivalent chrome plating on plastic and metal components.
Is Creative Liquid Coatings a public or private company?
Creative Liquid Coatings is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Creative Liquid Coatings founded?
Creative Liquid Coatings was founded in 1994. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Creative Liquid Coatings based?
Creative Liquid Coatings is headquartered in Kendallville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Creative Liquid Coatings make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Injection Molding Services are the primary driver. The others are painting & Surface Finishing, chrome Plating and assembly & Value-Added Services.
Who are Creative Liquid Coatings's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Flex-N-Gate, IAC Group (International Automotive Components), Lacks Enterprises, Inhance Technologies, Penda Corporation, Plastic Omnium and Novares. Magna International is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Creative Liquid Coatings have an API?
No public API is recorded for Creative Liquid Coatings.
What industry is Creative Liquid Coatings in?
Creative Liquid Coatings's product category is Automotive Plastic Component Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAFAJ, Custom Injection Molding & Contract Manufacturing (Job Shops/CMs), with a secondary code of IMAIAKAD, Powder Coating Services. Its NAICS code is 3261 and its SIC code is 3089.