What Heiche does

Heiche is a Germany-headquartered industrial surface coating and finishing services company founded in 1965 in Schwaigern as a jewelry and silversmiths business before entering electroplating in 1970. Today it operates eight-plus production sites across Germany, Poland, Hungary, and the United States (Alabama), employing approximately 700 people, and functions as the core operating brand within KAP Surface Technologies alongside sister companies Metallveredlung Döbeln GmbH and Gt Oberflächen GmbH. Since 2018, Heiche has been wholly owned by KAP AG.

The company's core offering is a broad portfolio of wet-chemical and electrochemical surface treatment processes — including Chromium VI-free passivation, zinc and zinc-nickel alkaline/acidic coating (delivering up to 720h corrosion protection per DIN EN ISO 9227), hard anodizing (3–70 micron layers), cathodic dip coating/E-coat (10–45 microns), powder coating, sol-gel nano coating, phosphating, impregnation, painting, and adhesion promotion — applied to aluminum, magnesium, zinc die-cast, and steel components. It also offers specialized inside rinsing of coolers for fuel cell applications. The portfolio is described as a Europe-unique spectrum of coordinated surface processes, backed by IATF 16949:2016, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 50001 certifications and customer-specific qualifications at BMW, Daimler, and VW.

Heiche generates revenue through B2B job-work processing of customer-supplied components on a quotation-based, per-project pricing model, with EXW delivery terms and standard 10-day payment. Its go-to-market is sales-led, with key account managers at each location serving automotive OEMs and tier-1 suppliers (LuK, Brembo, Bosch) as the primary segment, complemented by machine building, electrical industry, and medical technology customers. International plants in Poland, Hungary, and Alabama enable consistent quality across global automotive supply chains.

Name

Heiche

Legal name

Heiche Oberflächentechnik GmbH

Website

https://heichegroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Heiche is a German-headquartered industrial surface coating and finishing services provider operating eight-plus production sites in Germany, Poland, Hungary, and the US, serving automotive OEMs and tier-1 suppliers with electroplating, anodizing, E-coat, passivation, and zinc-nickel coating processes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Surface Coating and Metal Finishing Services

NAICS

Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812), Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Application Equipment & Coating Services (Contract Coating, Surface Prep) (IMAEAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Commercial Painting/Coatings/Surface Treatment (IMAIAAAK), Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Industrial surface coating
• Metal finishing services
• Electroplating processes
• Automotive surface treatment
• Corrosion protection coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

Schwaigern

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Surface Coating Services: B2B industrial coating and surface finishing services for automotive, machine building, and electrical industries. Services include electroplating, anodizing, passivation, E-coat, powder coating, painting, and specialty coatings. Revenue generated through job-work processing of customer-provided components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Heiche provides industrial surface coating and metal finishing services, including passivation, anodizing, hard anodizing, zinc and zinc-nickel coatings, cathodic dip coating (E-coat), powder coating, painting, phosphating, sol-gel nano coating, and adhesion promotion. The company processes customer-supplied components at its production facilities in Germany, Poland, Hungary, and the USA, primarily serving automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, as well as machine building, electrical industry, and medical technology customers. Operations are conducted under KAP Surface Technologies alongside sister companies Metallveredlung Döbeln and Gt Oberflächen.

Product overview

Heiche is a surface coating technology company offering a comprehensive portfolio of industrial surface treatment and finishing processes. The core offering consists of various coating processes including passivation, anodizing/hard anodizing, zinc and zinc-nickel coating (alkaline and acid), cathodic dip coating (E-coat), powder coating, impregnation, painting, adhesion promotion, phosphating, sol-gel nano coating, and chromium VI-free aftertreatment. The company operates as part of KAP Surface Technologies alongside sister companies Metallveredlung Döbeln GmbH and Gt Oberflächen GmbH, which provide additional specialized processes including Copper-Nickel-Chrome, CORRAZINK, and bonded coatings. Together, these entities create synergies for a comprehensive coating portfolio serving the automotive, machine, and electrical industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Passivation
• Anodizing / Hard Anodizing
• Cathodic Dip Coating (E-coat)
• Zinc-Nickel Alkaline & Acid Coating
• Zinc Alkaline/Acid Coating
• Powder Coating
• Painting
• Sol-Gel Coating (Nano Technology)
• Phosphating
• Adhesion Promotion
• Impregnation
• Degreasing / Etching / Washing
• Chemical Paint Stripping
• Chromium VI-free Aftertreatment
• Inside Rinsing of Coolers
• Copper-Nickel-Chrome (Chrome III) Plating
• CORRAZINK Special Zinc Coating

Quantifiable outcome

• 720h corrosion protection (DIN EN ISO 9227) with zinc-nickel coating
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KAP Surface TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018KAP Surface Technologies is the parent company owning 100% of Heiche Group since 2018. Heiche operates alongside sister companies Metallveredlung Döbeln GmbH and Gt Oberflächen GmbH within the KAP Surface Technologies division, creating synergies for a comprehensive coating portfolio.
• Metallveredlung Döbeln GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within KAP Surface Technologies specializing in Copper-Nickel-Chrome (Chrome III), zinc processing, and CORRAZINK. Based in Döbeln, Germany with tradition dating to 1938.
• Gt Oberflächen GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within KAP Surface Technologies specializing in zinc-nickel alkaline, zinc-nickel ductile, and bonded coatings. Based in Heinsdorfergrund, Germany. Certified to IATF 16949 and EMAS/ISO 14001. Serves major clients including LuK, Brembo, and Bosch.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves19 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Galvatek Group: Italian surface treatment specialist offering zinc, zinc-nickel, and passivation services to automotive and industrial customers; similar process portfolio and European automotive customer base.
• Wallwork Group: UK-based heat treatment and surface treatment service provider for aerospace, automotive, and general engineering; comparable mid-sized European job-shop service model.
• Aalberts Surface Technologies: European-headquartered provider of heat treatment and surface finishing services for automotive, aerospace, and industrial customers; closest direct functional peer to Heiche's contract coating model with overlapping automotive Tier-1 customers.
• HEF Group (formerly HEF/Ionbond): French surface treatment specialist offering PVD, nitriding, DLC and other coatings to automotive and industrial markets; comparable contract-coating business model with European manufacturing footprint and automotive OEM focus.
• SurTec (BMG Group): German surface treatment specialist offering electroplating, passivation, and corrosion-protection services from a European footprint; direct overlap with Heiche's electrolytic and passivation processes.
• Nimet Targoviste: Romanian provider of metal surface treatments and heat treatment serving automotive and industrial customers; comparable Central/Eastern European contract-coating model with automotive OEM exposure.

Broad incumbents

• Bodycote: UK-listed global leader in thermal processing and surface treatments serving automotive and industrial markets; broader, public-market incumbent with overlapping coating and heat-treating capabilities to OEMs.
• Atotech (MKS Instruments): Global leader in surface finishing chemistry and equipment, now part of MKS Instruments; supplies chemistry used by contract platers like Heiche while also operating adjacent service and equipment businesses.
• Henkel (Adhesive Technologies / Industrial Coatings): Global industrial adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings supplier serving automotive OEMs; overlaps with Heiche's bonding-adhesion promotion and surface-treatment chemistries on a much larger scale.

Regional players

• Dipsol Chemicals: Japan-based specialty chemicals supplier focused on zinc and zinc-alloy electroplating processes for automotive and industrial markets; competitor in plating chemistry rather than direct contract services, primarily operating in Asia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heichegroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/Heiche

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

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 Heiche