What Black Bros. Co. does

Black Bros. Co. is a privately held American manufacturer of industrial roll coating and laminating equipment, founded in 1882 and headquartered in Mendota, Illinois. The company designs and builds custom machinery for applying adhesives, coatings, and bonding materials to wood, metal, plastic, and composite substrates, serving manufacturers across six primary verticals: wood/furniture, building products, transportation, metal processing, packaging/converting, and consumer products. Its product portfolio spans eight integrated systems (Cold Press, Coil Coating, Doors, Panel Express, Roll Coating, Hot Melt/PUR Laminator, Web Laminating, and TB-60 Paper Laminating), plus standalone adhesive spreaders, roll coaters, rotary presses, platen presses, material handling equipment, and coil coating machines.

The company operates a vertically integrated manufacturing model that includes in-house roll manufacturing and rubber vulcanization, covering steel pipe machining, automated welding, precision machining, autoclave curing, and grinding/grooving. Black Bros. generates revenue primarily through custom-built equipment sales (ranging from $10,000 to several hundred thousand dollars per machine) and recurring aftermarket services including machine rebuilds, roll reconditioning, parts, training, and technical support. Distribution is direct, via a regional enterprise field sales organization supplemented by inside sales, a 9,500-square-foot James S. Carroll Customer Service Lab for testing and demonstration, and active participation in industry trade shows (IWF, LIGNA, AWFS, SIPs Expo, NBMDA). A Southeast Division in High Point, North Carolina handles machine rebuilds, roll services, and used equipment sales for the southeastern U.S., and short-term lease or lease-to-buy options are available for in-stock machines. The business has remained under family ownership through six generations and shows no public listing or external equity investment.

Name

Black Bros. Co.

Legal name

Black Bros. Co.

Website

https://blackbros.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1882

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Black Bros. Co. is a family-owned American manufacturer, founded in 1882, of custom roll coating and laminating equipment serving wood/furniture, building products, transportation, metal processing, packaging, and consumer products manufacturers through direct field sales and aftermarket services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Coating and Laminating Equipment

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328)

SIC

Sheet Metal Work (3444)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plastic Films & Laminated Packaging Structures Manufacturing (IMANAEAD), Label Stock, Inks, Coatings & Laminates (Materials Supply) (IMALAKAL), Aluminum Rolling (Flat-Rolled Products: Sheet, Plate, Foil) (IMAKACAF)

Keywords

• Roll coating equipment
• Laminating equipment
• Adhesive spreaders
• Coil coating systems
• Industrial presses

Headquarters

HQ city

Mendota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Manufacturing and Sales: Design, manufacture, and sale of industrial roll coating and laminating equipment including adhesive spreaders, roll coaters, rotary presses, platen presses, and complete production systems. Equipment ranges from $10,000 to several hundred thousand dollars depending on specifications.
2. Aftermarket Parts and Service: Sale of replacement parts, roll reconditioning services (recovering and regrinding), machine rebuilds, retro kits, and technical support. Both headquarters and Southeast Division provide roll services.
3. Machine Rebuilds and Retrofits: Southeast Division specializes in bringing older equipment back to life with 30-point inspections, repair/replacement of worn parts, roll reconditioning, safety and electrical updates, and fresh paint. Also offers retro kits for modernizing existing machines.
4. Training and Startup Services: Startup assistance and operator training programs available for purchase, including seminars and workshops conducted onsite or at company facilities. Covers efficient operation, maintenance, and safe work practices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Black Bros. Co. designs, engineers, and manufactures industrial roll coating and laminating equipment, including adhesive spreaders, roll coaters, platen/cold presses, hot melt (PUR) and web laminators, coil coating lines, and auxiliary material-handling equipment, sold to manufacturers that apply adhesives, coatings, and bonding materials to flat panels and continuous webs in industries such as wood products, building products, transportation, metal processing, and packaging.

Product overview

Black Bros. Co. is an American manufacturer of premier Roll Coating and Laminating equipment, founded in 1882. The product portfolio is organized as integrated systems and standalone machines for industrial coating and laminating applications. The core systems include: Cold Press System (for batch panel bonding), Coil Coating System (for film-to-coil applications), Doors System (cold laminating for doors), Panel Express System (fast-tack PVA heat-assisted laminating), Roll Coating System (for UV, waterborne, and solvent-based coatings), Hot Melt (PUR) Laminator System, Web Laminating System (for multi-web laminating), and TB-60 Paper Laminating System (high-volume hot roll paper laminating). Supporting equipment includes Adhesive Spreaders (775, 22D-Series), Roll Coaters (22D-Series, Differential Direct Roll Coater), Rotary Presses (RL-750, RPP-875, RPP-C-1575), Platen Presses (Air Pod Press, SIP Press), Material Handling equipment (Panel Assist Stacker, Panel Feeders, Panel Cleaner, Laminate Indexing Station, Transfer Carts, Scissor Lift), and Coil Coating machines (Horizontal, S-Wrap, Vertical). The company offers customization, engineering services, test labs, and machine rebuilds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• James S. Carroll Customer Service Lab: Testing and demonstration facility at company headquarters for customers to test coating and laminating processes with production machinery.
• Black Bros. Southeast Division (BBSE)

Products and services

• Roll Coating System Engineered roll coating line for industrial manufacturers to apply adhesives and coatings to flat panels and substrates, configurable to specific production requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cold press system throughput optimized to reach 2-3 sheets per minute (based on 4' x 8' sheet size)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Weinig Group: German leader in solid wood and panel processing machinery. While focused more on solid-wood processing, Weinig overlaps with Black Bros. in panel surface treatment and finishing equipment for furniture and construction customers.
• Homag Group: Global market leader in woodworking machinery and complete production lines. Overlaps with Black Bros. in panel processing, laminating, and surface finishing equipment for the furniture and building-products industries, though Homag serves a far broader scope.
• Biesse: Major Italian manufacturer of machinery for processing wood, glass, stone, plastic, and metal. Competes with Black Bros. in panel laminating and surface treatment equipment, particularly across furniture, doors, and building products customers.
• Illinois Tool Works (ITW): Diversified industrial manufacturer with multiple finishing, coating, and adhesives-application businesses. Comparable through its surface finishing and industrial equipment segments serving similar industrial customers as Black Bros.
• SCM Group: One of the largest global suppliers of woodworking machinery and industrial finishing technology. Directly comparable to Black Bros. in panel processing, laminating, and roll/spray coating applications for furniture and construction.
• Nordson Corporation: Diversified precision dispensing and coating equipment maker serving packaging, industrial, and electronics markets. Overlaps with Black Bros. in roll coating, adhesive application, and lamination systems at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Cefla: Italian manufacturer specializing in finishing technology for wood, glass, metal, plastic, and composite panels. Closely comparable to Black Bros.' roll coating, laminating, and surface-treatment product lines for the furniture and building-products sectors.
• Superfici: Manufacturer of finishing and surface treatment equipment for wood-based panels, with a strong presence in roll coaters, spray machines, and laminating lines. Closely comparable product portfolio to Black Bros.' Roll Coating and Panel Express systems.
• Globe Machine Manufacturing: US-based manufacturer of industrial laminating and roll coating equipment for composites, metals, and engineered panels. Closely comparable niche industrial equipment peer serving similar end markets to Black Bros.
• Makor: Italian specialist in finishing lines for wood, glass, and panel products. Direct peer in roll coating, spray finishing, and UV-curing equipment for furniture, doors, and flooring manufacturers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackBrosCo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-bros-co
• Xx.com/BlackBrosCo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Black Bros. Co.