Williams Hayward Protective Coatings

What Williams Hayward Protective Coatings does

Williams Hayward Protective Coatings, Inc. (WHPC) is a privately held, three-generation family-owned specialty manufacturer of industrial protective coatings founded in 1920 and headquartered in Summit, Illinois. The company develops, produces, and markets waterborne and solvent-borne coating systems — anchored by its proprietary Thermalbond single-component acrylic-vinyl-rubber latex copolymer platform introduced in 1956 — alongside complementary lines such as Aqua-Epoxy, Aqua-Lust, Safe-T-Coat, Acrylem, No-VOC, Aqua-Thane, Aqua-Slip, and a portfolio of high-solids solvent-borne epoxies, alkyds, and urethanes. It also produces steel strapping coatings (Safe-T-Coat, Aquadust) and has been the primary supplier to the leading global steel strapping systems provider since 1964, with documented real-world weathering performance spanning up to 24 years.

WHPC serves enterprise customers in the freight rail (Class I railroads and railcar manufacturers and lessors including Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Greenbrier, Trinity Industries, GATX, and TTX), chemical transport (Dow, Rohm & Haas), agricultural processing (ADM, Cargill), and mining/materials (Vulcan Materials) sectors. Its products are specified to resist corrosion from acids, alkalis, fuels, and fertilizers, and to meet durability requirements for exterior and interior railcar service.

The business operates three US manufacturing sites (Summit, IL headquarters; Bedford Park, IL; Fort Worth, TX), with international distribution through P.H.U. STEP in Poland for Europe and WHPC Consultores in Mexico. It holds ISO-9001:2008 and AAR M-1003 certifications, sells primarily via direct enterprise sales with a dedicated technical service team, and supplements revenue with technical services such as application guidance and quality control support. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled via direct inquiry. The Kurcz family controls executive leadership (Wayne E. Kurcz as President & CEO, Edward J. Kurcz as CFO, Jacqueline Kurcz-Frett as CQO), with no external institutional investors or parent company identified.

Name

Williams Hayward Protective Coatings

Legal name

Williams Hayward Protective Coatings, Inc.

Website

https://williams-hayward.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Williams Hayward Protective Coatings is a family-owned specialty manufacturer of waterborne and solvent-borne industrial protective coatings for freight rail, chemical transport, and steel strapping applications, serving enterprise customers across North America, Europe, and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Protective Coatings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Protective Coatings (IMAEAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Protective Coatings (Steel/Concrete/Equipment) (IMAIAKAB)

Keywords

• Industrial protective coatings
• Waterborne coatings
• Solvent-borne coatings
• Railcar coatings
• Steel strapping coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

Summit Argo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Protective Coatings Sales: Sale of industrial protective coatings for rail, chemical, and industrial applications. Products include waterborne coatings, solvent-borne coatings, and steel strapping coatings sold directly and through distribution partners.
2. Technical Services: Technical service and support provided to customers including application guidance, quality control assistance, and troubleshooting support through regional technical service representatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Williams Hayward Protective Coatings manufactures and sells industrial protective coatings organized into three product families: waterborne coatings, solvent-borne coatings, and steel strapping coatings. Products include proprietary Thermalbond acrylic-vinyl-rubber latex copolymer systems, Aqua-Epoxy two-component systems, High Kote alkyds, Power Grip epoxies, and Aquadust zinc-rich steel strapping coatings, sold to railcar manufacturers, leasing companies, railroad operators, chemical transporters, and steel strapping customers.

Product overview

Williams Hayward Protective Coatings offers a diversified portfolio of industrial coating systems organized into three main categories: Waterborne Coatings, Solvent-Borne Coatings, and Steel Strapping Coatings. The Waterborne Coatings line includes Thermalbond (I, II & III) as a flagship single-component acrylic-vinyl-rubber system, complemented by Aqua-Epoxy (two-component epoxy), Aqua-Lust (acrylic-alkyd), Safe-T-Coat (primer), Acrylem, No-Voc (zero VOC option), Aqua-Slip (release coating), and Aqua-Thane (waterborne urethane). The Solvent-Borne Coatings portfolio features High Kote (alkyds), Acralust (acrylic alkyd), Super Stanzwear (silicone alkyds), Power Grip (epoxy), No-VOC Power Grip, Power-Flex (interior linings), EPOL, Super Epol, UR-OH-THANE, and Acrathane (acrylic urethanes). Steel Strapping Coatings include Safe-T-Coat, Aqualust, and Aquadust systems. WHPC serves rail, industrial, and OEM industries with products dating back to 1920.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Thermalbond: Waterborne latex single component acrylic-vinyl-rubber copolymer coating system for general service, severely corrosive, and exterior/interior applications.
• Eurotbond
• High Kote
• Acralust
• Power Grip
• Aqua-Epoxy
• Aqua-Lust
• No-VOC
• Safe-T-Coat
• Aquathane
• Aquadust

Products and services

• Thermalbond I, II & III

Quantifiable outcome

• Coatings validated against over 20 different chemical exposure types including acids, alkalis, fuels, and agricultural products
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• P.H.U. STEPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean distribution partner for Williams Hayward Protective Coatings. Handles sales and distribution operations in Poland and broader European market from their Swidnica, Poland location. Robert Zawalich serves as Director of European Operations for WHPC while also serving as President of P.H.U. STEP.
• WHPC ConsultorescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMexico distribution partner for Williams Hayward Protective Coatings. Handles sales and distribution operations in Mexico from their Mexico City location. Adam Robinson Young serves as Director of Mexico Operations for WHPC while also serving as President of WHPC Consultores.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PPG Industries: Global coatings major with a substantial industrial and rail transportation coatings portfolio. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping protective coatings used on railcars, tank cars, and industrial equipment, though at vastly greater scale and broader scope than Williams Hayward.
• Sherwin-Williams: Largest North American coatings company with a significant Industrial Wood & Protective Coatings division serving rail, chemical, and industrial markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent directly competing in industrial protective coatings for rail and chemical-transport applications.
• Axalta Coating Systems: Global coatings company with a strong industrial and rail coatings franchise, including tank car and freight railcar finishes. Comparable as a broad incumbent specializing in liquid industrial coatings for transportation end-markets, including rail.
• AkzoNobel: Global coatings multinational with rail and protective-coatings offerings through its International Paint and Sikkens brands. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping protective coatings for rail, chemical transport, and industrial equipment.
• Hempel: Global protective and marine coatings company serving rail, chemical, and industrial infrastructure markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping protective coatings for freight railcars and industrial equipment, particularly in European and Latin American markets where Williams Hayward also operates.

Direct peers

• Tnemec Company: U.S.-based privately-held manufacturer of high-performance protective and industrial coatings serving rail, chemical, water/wastewater, and industrial markets. Closely comparable mid-sized specialty competitor with similar rail and chemical-transport customer focus.
• Carboline: Privately-held specialty manufacturer of protective coatings, linings, and fireproofing for rail, chemical processing, marine, and industrial markets. Directly comparable as a mid-sized specialty competitor targeting the same chemical-resistant rail and industrial coatings applications.
• Wasser Coatings: U.S.-based specialty coatings manufacturer focused on high-performance liquid and powder coatings for rail, heavy-duty equipment, and industrial applications. Comparable as a direct specialty peer with similar rail-coating customer profile and product portfolio overlap.
• Induron Protective Coatings: U.S.-based specialty manufacturer of protective coatings for water, wastewater, and industrial markets including rail and chemical exposure. Comparable as a mid-sized specialty competitor with overlapping industrial-protective-coatings customer base and product positioning.
• Diamond Vogel: U.S.-based manufacturer of industrial, architectural, and protective coatings serving rail, heavy equipment, and industrial customers. Comparable as a privately-held specialty peer with overlapping industrial-coatings customers and rail-market presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/whpc1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/williams-hayward-protective-coatings-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Williams Hayward Protective Coatings