International Surface Technologies

What International Surface Technologies does

International Surface Technologies (IST) is a Canadian designer and manufacturer of industrial surface treatment equipment, founded circa 1983 and headquartered in Mascouche, Quebec (with firmographic data listing Laval). The company operates through two sub-brands: ISTblast, covering sandblasting booths, sandblasting cabinets (ECAB and M-Series), portable sandblasters, automated systems, dust collectors, and spray/paint equipment; and ISTpure, covering solvent distillation systems (SR Series batch-type at 30-240L and SRC Series continuous flow at 15-375+ L/hour), industrial parts washers, and ultrasonic cleaners. IST also holds exclusive North American distribution rights for Gostol TST industrial shot blasting machines. Proprietary technology includes the AR-7 sandblasting valve (a simpler, more reliable alternative to the Schmidt valve), an in-house-developed remote depressurization switch, and what the company describes as the only fully integrated blast rooms manufactured in North America, designed to connect with parts handling systems, paint booths, and dust collection. Solvent distillation systems achieve 95-99.9% recovery rates using 304-grade stainless steel tanks, explosion-proof heaters, and PLC-controlled HMI processes; equipment is certified to UL 2208, CSA, QPS (Class I Div 1 Group D), NFPA 30/33/70, IFC, GMP, and aerospace shot peening and SSPC surface preparation standards.

IST's business model is sales-led and quote-based, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Revenue derives from four streams: industrial equipment sales (hardware), parts and consumables (abrasive media, replacement parts, safety equipment), professional services (installation, technical support, repair, preventative maintenance, engineering, custom and contract manufacturing, private label), and R&D services. Customers include OEMs and aftermarket/rebuilders across aerospace and aviation, automotive, general manufacturing, military, shipyards, construction, aluminum smelters, energy, foundry and forge, railway and mass transit, plus emerging verticals such as cannabis/hemp extraction, 3D printing, and printing/packaging. Named enterprise customers include Alcoa, Hydro-Québec, Velan, and CCI Industries. On May 6, 2024, IST was acquired by Kresco Solutions Inc., a company founded in 2023 by former IST employees, designers, and managers; legacy equipment support continues under the IST brand while new product development is operated under the Kresco brand.

Name

International Surface Technologies

Legal name

International Surface Technologies

Website

https://istsurface.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Surface Technologies designs and manufactures industrial surface treatment equipment — including sandblasting systems, solvent distillation recyclers, parts washers, and ultrasonic cleaners — and is the exclusive North American distributor of Gostol TST shot blasting machines, serving aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, military, and emerging verticals such as cannabis extraction and 3D printing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Surface Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (33281)

SIC

Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)

akta.pro primary industry

Surface Preparation Equipment (Shot Blasting, Scarifiers, Grinders) (IMAHALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Surface Treatment & Finishing Equipment (Coating, Plating, Deburring, Shot Blasting) (IMAHADAJ)

Keywords

• Industrial surface treatment equipment
• Sandblasting and shot blasting systems
• Solvent distillation recyclers
• Industrial parts washers
• Abrasive blast media

Headquarters

HQ city

Laval

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Equipment Sales: Sale of industrial surface treatment equipment including sandblasting booths, sandblast cabinets, portable sandblasters, automated systems, spray equipment, solvent distillation systems, industrial parts washers, ultrasonic cleaners, dust collectors, and shot blasting machines. Equipment ranges from standard models to fully custom engineered systems.
2. Parts and Consumables: Sale of replacement parts, abrasive media, safety equipment, and consumables for installed equipment. Extensive inventory of replacement parts ready to ship worldwide.
3. Professional Services: Installation and equipment startup services, technical support and troubleshooting, repair services, preventative maintenance, engineering (custom design, process testing, retrofit/ upgrades), custom manufacturing, contract manufacturing, and private label services. Also includes technical training and workshops.
4. Research and Development Services: Continuous improvement and new products development services, including innovation for custom applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

International Surface Technologies (IST) designs and manufactures industrial surface treatment equipment, including sandblasting booths and cabinets, shot blasting machines, solvent distillation/recycling systems, industrial parts washers, ultrasonic cleaners, dust collection systems, and spray/paint booths. The company also supplies abrasive media, replacement parts, and provides installation, maintenance, repair, and custom engineering services to industrial customers across aerospace, automotive, energy, military, and general manufacturing sectors.

Product overview

International Surface Technologies (IST) offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial surface treatment equipment under two main sub-brands: ISTblast for abrasive blasting/sandblasting solutions and ISTpure for solvent distillation and industrial cleaning systems. The ISTblast line includes sandblasting booths, sandblasting cabinets (ECAB and M-Series), portable sandblasters, automated systems, shot blasting machines (Gostol TST exclusive North American distribution), dust collection systems, spray equipment (paint booths, powder coat booths, curing ovens), and associated safety equipment and abrasive media. The ISTpure line encompasses solvent distillation systems including batch-type (SR Series: 30L-240L capacities) and continuous flow (SRC Series: 15-375+ L/hour) solvent recyclers, industrial parts washers, and ultrasonic cleaners. The company provides comprehensive services including installation, technical support, repair, preventative maintenance, engineering, custom manufacturing, and R&D. Products serve diverse industries including aerospace, automotive, construction, energy, foundry, and military sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ISTblast: Product line for sandblasting equipment including booths, cabinets, portable sandblasters, and automated systems
• ISTpure

Products and services

• ISTblast Sandblasting Booths Custom engineered blast booths providing confined environments for high-productivity sandblasting operations for industrial surface treatment customers.
• ISTblast Sandblasting Cabinets Sandblasting cabinets available in ECAB and M-Series lines featuring 14-gauge steel construction, LED lighting, and the proprietary AR-7 valve technology for industrial blasting applications.
• ISTblast Portable Sandblasters Portable pressure blast pots available in various tank sizes (PPB 80PX, PPB 346, PPB 646, PPB 1046) for field and booth blasting use.
• ISTblast Automated Sandblasting Systems Automated blasting machines designed for consistent results and productivity in industrial sandblasting settings.
• Gostol TST Shot Blasting Machines Industrial shot blasters manufactured by Gostol TST, distributed exclusively by IST in North America, including batch-type and pass-through/inline shot blasting/peening systems.
• ISTblast Dust Collection Systems Dust collectors and filtration systems for sandblasting and shot blasting equipment, including explosion-proof models.
• ISTblast Spray Equipment Spray equipment including paint booths, powder coat booths, AMU units, curing ovens, and associated maintenance services for industrial coating operations.
• ISTpure SR Series Batch-Type Solvent Recyclers Fully automated batch solvent recyclers available in 30L, 60L, 120L, 180L, and 240L tank capacities, performing distillation cycles every 4-6 hours with up to 95-99.9% solvent recovery.
• ISTpure SRC Series Continuous Flow Solvent Recyclers Operator-free, fully automated continuous solvent distillation units processing 15 to 375+ liters per hour for high-volume industrial solvent recovery.
• ISTpure Industrial Parts Washers Industrial washers including aqueous cleaning and degreasing systems, solvent and water parts washers, and metal parts cleaning equipment for industrial facilities.
• ISTpure Ultrasonic Cleaners Industrial and commercial ultrasonic cleaning tanks providing hands-free degreasing and parts restoration, ranging from 1-12 gallon tabletop units to 16-240 gallon industrial units.
• ISTblast Abrasive Media Abrasive blast media including steel shot, steel grit, aluminum oxide, glass beads, garnet, coal slag, and plastic media for various blasting applications.
• Installation and Equipment Startup Services Turnkey installation, onsite supervision, machine startup, and operator training services for IST equipment.
• Repair Services Equipment repair services for sandblasting, spray, and solvent distillation equipment.
• Engineering Services Multidisciplinary engineering services including custom design, process testing and development, and retrofit and upgrades for existing surface treatment equipment.
• Custom Manufacturing Services Custom design, fabrication, contract manufacturing, and private label services for industrial surface treatment equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95-99.9% solvent recovery rates
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Kresco Solutions Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2024Kresco Solutions Inc. acquired International Surface Technologies (IST) effective May 6, 2024. Kresco was founded in 2023 by former employees, designers, and managers of IST. Kresco has deep understanding of IST equipment designs and technologies and will continue to support existing IST equipment customers with parts, consumables, and technical assistance under the Kresco brand. The acquisition strengthens position as a leader in surface treatment equipment design and manufacturing.
• Gostol TSTcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIST is the only North American distributor, installer, and spare parts supplier for Gostol TST's line of industrial shot blasters. Gostol manufactures low and high-volume shot blasting/peening machines. IST offers Gostol's complete range of batch-type and pass-through/inline shot blasting systems.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Guyson Corporation: Designs and manufactures industrial sandblasting, abrasive blasting, and surface finishing equipment. Directly comparable to IST's ISTblast line in product scope, customer base (industrial manufacturers), and custom-engineered project model.
• Clemco Industries: Manufacturer of abrasive blasting equipment, including blast machines, cabinets, and portable systems. Overlaps directly with IST's sandblasting booths, cabinets, and portable sandblasters sold to similar industrial customers.
• BlastOne International: Global supplier of abrasive blasting equipment, consumables, and services. Closely matches IST's ISTblast product set, including booths, cabinets, and portable units, and competes for the same industrial and contractor end users.
• Empire Abrasive Equipment: Manufactures sandblasting cabinets, blast rooms, and abrasive blasting equipment for industrial users. A direct North American peer to IST's sandblasting booth, cabinet, and integrated blast room offerings.
• CBG Biotech: Designs and builds industrial solvent distillation and recovery systems. Directly comparable to IST's ISTpure SR and SRC series solvent recyclers serving printing, parts cleaning, and pharmaceutical customers.
• OFRU Recycling: Manufacturer of solvent distillation and recycling equipment for industrial applications. Competes with ISTpure in batch-type and continuous solvent recovery systems for printing, coatings, and parts cleaning end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Wheelabrator (Norican Group): Global leader in shot blasting and surface treatment equipment under the Wheelabrator brand. A larger incumbent that competes with IST's Gostol TST shot blasting line and broader surface preparation portfolio, with deeper geographic and R&D resources.
• Rosler Surface Technology: Manufactures shot blasting, mass finishing, and surface treatment systems worldwide. Broad incumbent comparable to IST in shot blasting and surface finishing equipment, particularly for automotive, aerospace, and general manufacturing customers.
• Graco Inc. Global manufacturer of fluid handling equipment, including industrial spray equipment for paint, coating, and powder applications. Broad incumbent that overlaps with IST's spray equipment and paint/powder coat booth lines, though Graco serves a much wider fluid-handling market.
• Carlisle Fluid Technologies: Supplies spray finishing equipment, paint booths, and powder coating systems under brands including DeVilbiss, Ransburg, and BGK. A broad incumbent in industrial spray/paint application that overlaps with IST's spray equipment product line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance14 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 International Surface Technologies