STI Group

What STI Group does

STI Group (STI Surface Technologies International Holding AG) is a Swiss-headquartered surface technology company founded in 1957 in Steinach on Lake Constance, operating seven production sites across six countries (Switzerland, Germany, France, USA, China, Portugal) with approximately 600 employees globally. The group provides functional surface treatments and coatings for industrial components, organized around two core technology platforms: a galvanic WetCoat system (hard chrome plating in standard, nano, diamond-reinforced, and ceramic-reinforced variants, plus electroless nickel plating under the Nitrag and Nicrodur brands) and a plasma-based STI DryCoat system (plasma nitriding, PVD, PACVD and associated sub-brands PlaNit, Glide, Dur, DurOx, DurDLC). Complementary offerings include thermal spray coatings, mechanical machining and finishing, paint coatings (including a chromic acid-free process approved by Airbus), conversion coatings, in-house R&D and metallographic analysis, an on-site STI Mobile Repair Service, and a 24/7 STI Express Service for marine and powertrain customers.

The company serves eight primary business segments — Aviation, Automotive, Defense Technology, Film & Foil, Marine & Powertrain, Paper, Print, and Power Generation, plus General Industries — with named positions as a worldwide market leader in functional coatings for printing machines and in chrome plating of medium and large caliber defense barrels, and as a key qualified supplier to Airbus and the Swiss defense procurement agency armasuisse. STI Group is privately held by the Oehler family, with Andrea Oehler as CEO and Chairman since November 2022 and founder Dr. Edgar Oehler as Board President. Revenue is generated through B2B professional services with quote-based pricing determined by component specifications, coating requirements, and processing complexity; sales are executed via regional Centers of Excellence, a dedicated Technical Sales Department, and direct enterprise field sales. The business holds NADCAP, EN 9100, ISO 9001/14001/50001, German Lloyd / DNV-GL, and GTS certifications across its operations.

Name

STI Group

Legal name

STI Surface Technologies International Holding AG

Website

https://sti-surface.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

STI Group is a Swiss-headquartered surface technology company providing functional coatings, surface treatments, and repair services for industrial components serving aviation, automotive, defense, marine, paper, print, and power generation customers across six countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Surface Treatment Services

NAICS

Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (33281), 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 (Steel/Concrete/Equipment) (IMAIAKAB), Industrial Protective Coatings (IMADAKAB)

Keywords

• Industrial surface treatment
• Hard chrome plating
• Thermal spray coatings
• Electroless nickel plating
• Plasma surface coating

Headquarters

HQ city

Steinach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Surface Treatment Services: Core revenue from functional surface coatings and treatments including galvanic processes (hard chrome, nickel plating), thermal coatings, DryCoat plasma systems, and mechanical finishing. Services cover series production and individual parts processing with tight tolerances.
2. Repair and Regeneration Services: Cost-efficient repair services covering dimensional correction, regeneration of damaged coatings, and specialized repair processes (pen repair, welding, spot chromium plating). Includes mobile repair service for on-site repairs worldwide.
3. Technical Advisory and Consulting: Technical sales consultation, feasibility studies, optimized coating solutions, test series, quality analyses, and damage analysis services. R&D department provides metallographic tests and process development support.
4. Logistics and Customs Services: Logistics support including just-in-time delivery, import/export documentation preparation, and customs clearance assistance.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

STI Group provides functional surface treatment services and coatings for industrial components, including galvanic processes (hard chrome plating, electroless nickel), thermal spray coatings, plasma-based DryCoat systems (PVD, PACVD, plasma nitriding), mechanical machining, paint coatings, and conversion coatings. The company serves industries such as aviation, automotive, defense, paper, print, film & foil, marine & powertrain, and power generation through seven production sites across Switzerland, Germany, France, USA, China, and Portugal, complemented by repair, R&D, and logistics services.

Product overview

STI Group operates as a technology and market leader in functional surface technology, offering a comprehensive portfolio of surface treatment solutions. The core offerings include the STI Dry Coat System (plasma-based plasma nitriding, PVD, PACVD technologies) and the WetCoat System (galvanic processes), which together make STI Group a full-range supplier. These platforms are supported by extensive surface treatment processes including hard chrome plating variants (standard, nanochrome, chrome diamond, chrome ceramic), electroless nickel plating (Nitrag high-phos, Nicrodur low-phos), thermal spray coatings, mechanical machining, paint coating, and conversion coatings. The company provides complementary services including the STI Mobile Repair Service for on-site repairs, STI Express Service 24/7 for urgent Marine & Powertrain needs, and in-house R&D laboratory services. STI Group serves diverse industrial sectors including aviation, automotive, defense technology, paper, print, film & foil, marine & powertrain, power generation, and general industries, with global manufacturing facilities in Switzerland, Germany, France, USA, China, and Portugal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STI DryCoat System: Plasma-based surface technology (plasma nitriding, PVD, PACVD) complementing the galvanic WetCoat system
• STI WetCoat System
• Hartchrom Process
• Hartchrom Teikuro
• STI AlpineCoat
• Nanochrome
• Chrome Diamond
• Chrome Ceramic
• Nitrag
• Nicrodur
• STI Express Service
• STI Mobile Repair Service

Products and services

• STI Dry Coat System Plasma-based surface coating technology (plasma nitriding, PVD, PACVD) providing extreme wear protection, abrasion resistance, and cold welding prevention for high-stress industrial components. Includes STI PlaNit, STI Glide, STI Dur(+)/LT, STI DurOx(+), and STI-DurDLC(-) coating variants.
• WetCoat System Galvanic-based surface coating system complementing the DryCoat system, enabling STI Group to serve as a full-range supplier in surface technology for automotive and industrial applications.
• Hard Chrome Plating Technical hard chrome plating achieving extremely high hardness (850-1050 HV 0.1), excellent wear and corrosion resistance, with remarkable adhesion and homogeneity for components such as cylinders, rolls, pistons, and tooling.
• Nanochrome Plating Advanced nano-chrome plating technology developed in-house for cutting-edge surface solutions requiring enhanced surface properties for high-performance industrial components.
• Chrome Diamond Coating Diamond-reinforced chrome plating for highly stressed tribological components requiring maximum wear resistance in industrial applications.
• Chrome Ceramic Coating Ceramic-reinforced chrome plating (950-1100 HV 0.1) for highly stressed sliding bearings and tribological systems requiring maximum hardness and wear resistance.
• Electroless Nickel Plating (Nitrag) High-phosphorus electroless nickel coating (550-1000 HV 0.1) providing excellent corrosion resistance and uniform layer distribution without electric current.
• Electroless Nickel Plating (Nicrodur) Low-phosphorus electroless nickel coating (750-800 HV 0.1) for applications requiring higher hardness and wear resistance.
• Thermal Spray Coatings Cost-effective thermal spray technology using materials including WC-Co, Cr3C2-NiCr, Stellite, Hastelloy, Inconel, and specialty alloys for high-temperature and high-wear applications in power generation, marine, and industrial sectors.
• Mechanical Machining and Finishing Precision machining services including cylindrical grinding, flat/profile grinding, belt grinding, polishing, super finishing, turning/milling/drilling, and shot blasting for achieving tight tolerances and surface finish specifications.
• Paint Coating Services Comprehensive paint coating services including spray painting, antistatic painting, high-temperature MCAC painting, polyurethane, and Rilsan coatings for aviation and railway industries, including a chromic acid-free process approved by Airbus.
• STI Mobile Repair Service On-site repair service for wear-resistant coatings worldwide, enabling fast restoration of hard chrome-plated or thermally sprayed carbide coatings without component dismantling or transportation.
• STI Express Service 24/7 Priority service for Marine & Powertrain customers offering rapid turnaround, including overhaul of 4-stroke piston crowns for 6 to 16 cylinders within seven to ten days.
• Research and Development Services In-house R&D laboratory providing chemical and metallographic analyses, experimental galvanic processes, damage analysis, feasibility studies, and quality testing using ion-chromatography and micrography.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dimensional tolerances in the micron range achievable
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swiss Government - Defense Procurement (armasuisse)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 June 2024STI Group maintains strategic relationship with Swiss defense procurement (armasuisse) for chrome plating of defense technology components. The Rüstungschef (armaments chief) visited STI Group facilities in Steinach on June 28, 2024, demonstrating the strategic importance of this partnership for national defense capabilities.
• Energie-Agentur der Wirtschaft (EnAW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Hartchrom AG collaborates with EnAW (Swiss Energy Agency for Industry) on energy efficiency improvements for coating operations. This partnership demonstrates commitment to sustainable manufacturing and energy optimization, with EnAW certification valid through 2026.
• IMO (International Maritime Organization)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTI Group partners with all leading engine and component manufacturers to comply with IMO Tier III requirements for marine emissions. Works on developing and implementing new coating systems to meet stricter environmental regulations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bodycote: Global leader in heat treatment and metal joining, with a substantial surface treatment division offering hot isostatic pressing, plasma, and diffusion coatings. Directly comparable to STI as a B2B industrial service provider serving aerospace, automotive, and defense customers across multiple geographies.
• Praxair Surface Technologies (now Linde Engineering): Formerly Praxair Surface Technologies, now part of Linde, this business provides thermal spray coatings, diffusion coatings, and engineered surface solutions for aerospace, power generation, and industrial markets — directly comparable to STI's thermal spray offering and aerospace/power generation customer base.
• Chromalloy: US-based independent provider of repair, overhaul, and surface treatment services for aerospace and industrial gas turbine components. Comparable to STI's Marine & Powertrain and aviation segments, especially in thermal spray coatings and component repair for high-temperature engine applications.
• Sulzer: Swiss industrial engineering company with an Applicator Systems division that includes surface coating and spray technology for industrial and aerospace customers. Overlaps with STI in thermal spray and specialized industrial coatings, though Sulzer is a much larger diversified industrial group.
• Curtiss-Wright Surface Treatment: Curtiss-Wright's surface treatment businesses serve aerospace, defense, and industrial customers with metal finishing, shot peening, and specialized coatings. Comparable to STI's defense technology and aviation segments, particularly in chrome plating for military and aerospace OEM components.

Direct peers

• Aalberts Surface Technologies: Aalberts' Surface Technologies division delivers functional coatings (PVD, PACVD, nitriding, plating) for automotive, aerospace, and general industrial customers across Europe and North America. Most direct functional overlap with STI's DryCoat and WetCoat systems in automotive and general industrial coatings.
• OC Oerlikon Balzers: Swiss-headquartered PVD and PACVD coating specialist serving automotive, aerospace, and tooling customers globally. Highly comparable to STI's DryCoat plasma system in offering advanced thin-film and surface engineering solutions for high-stress industrial components.

Emerging players

• Hardide Coatings: UK-listed specialist in tungsten carbide/tungsten-based hard chrome alternative coatings for aerospace, oil & gas, and industrial applications. Comparable to STI as an alternative hard-chrome solution provider, though smaller scale and more focused on a single coating chemistry.
• IHI Hauzer Techno Coating: Netherlands-based PVD and PACVD equipment and coating service provider serving automotive, decorative, and industrial markets. Comparable to STI's DryCoat plasma technology offering with overlap in automotive and tooling surface treatments.

Regional players

• JCU Corporation: Japan-based specialty chemical and surface treatment company supplying plating chemicals and surface treatment services to electronics, automotive, and industrial customers in Asia. Comparable to STI in electroless nickel and plating chemistries, primarily serving Asian markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hartchrom

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries8 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 STI Group