MSC

What MSC does

Metallizing Service Company, Inc. (MSC), founded in 1940 and headquartered at 11 Cody Street, West Hartford, Connecticut, is a specialized provider of high-performance thermal spray coating services for commercial aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. The company applies five core coating technologies—plasma spray, high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF), wire arc spray, flame/thermal spray, and high-energy plasma spray—to deposit ceramic and metallic coatings that protect turbine engine components, aerospace parts, and industrial machinery from extreme temperatures, wear, erosion, and corrosion. MSC operates as a one-stop coating services platform, providing in-house machining, fixturing, pre-coating preparation, automated coating application, finish grinding, and quality inspection from a single Connecticut facility.

MSC's revenue model is project-based professional services: customers submit components or engage MSC for new specifications and receive quotes through a direct contact channel. The customer base consists of tier-one aerospace and industrial OEMs, including Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, Collins Aerospace, CFM, and Alstom, with qualifications under dozens of OEM-specific specifications covering thermal barrier, abradable, anti-gallant, dry film lubricant, and wear-resistant coating chemistries. The company holds NADCAP (AC7108/1, AC7109, AC7109/1), AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, and FAA Air Agency Certificate (Approved Repair Station) accreditations, creating significant qualification barriers to entry. With 51–100 employees and 80+ years of operating history, MSC was acquired by Behrman Capital in January 2026 and subsequently sold to Karman Space & Defense (NYSE: KRMN) on February 3, 2026, as part of a $220 million transaction that also included Seemann Composites; Karman's financing for the deal was supported by a $772 million incremental term loan and senior secured credit facilities arranged by Barings.

Name

MSC

Legal name

Metallizing Service Company, Inc.

Website

https://mscplasma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Metallizing Service Company (MSC) is an 80-year-old Connecticut-based provider of specialized thermal spray coating services for aerospace turbine engines, defense systems, and industrial components, serving OEMs such as Pratt & Whitney, GE, and Rolls-Royce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Thermal Spray Coating Services

NAICS

Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Thermal Spray & Metallizing (HVOF/Plasma/Arc) (IMAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Thermal spray coating
• Aerospace coatings
• Plasma spray services
• HVOF coating
• Turbine component coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Thermal Spray Coating Services: MSC generates revenue through providing thermal spray coating services for commercial aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. Services include plasma spray, HVOF, wire arc spray, flame spray, and high-energy plasma spray coatings applied to turbine engine components, industrial machinery, and other specialized parts requiring surface protection and performance enhancement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Metallizing Service Company (MSC) provides high-performance thermal spray coating services for commercial aerospace, defense, and industrial customers. Capabilities span plasma spray, HVOF, wire arc, flame spray, and high-energy plasma spray processes applied to turbine engine components and specialized parts, with full in-house support including machining, fixturing, finishing, metallurgical evaluation, and quality inspection. Services are delivered against major OEM specifications (Pratt & Whitney, GE, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, Collins Aerospace) under NADCAP and AS9100D quality systems.

Product overview

Metallizing Service Company (MSC) is an 80-year-old provider of advanced thermal spray coating solutions for aerospace, commercial, and industrial applications. The company operates as a full-service coating platform offering five distinct thermal spray technologies—Thermal Spray Coating, Plasma Spray Coating, Wire Arc Spray Coating, High-Energy Plasma Spray Coating, and HVOF Spray Coating—each serving different performance requirements from moderate wear resistance to extreme high-temperature thermal barrier coatings. MSC's integrated operations combine laboratory evaluation, machine shop preparation, automated robotic coating, and quality inspection to deliver end-to-end coating services tailored to customer specifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plasma Spray Coating High-temperature coating process using a controlled plasma arc to heat and accelerate ceramic or metal powder feedstock onto substrates; primarily used for thermal barrier coatings on gas turbine engine components such as blades, vanes, and combustor parts. Sold to aerospace and industrial customers.
• HVOF (High-Velocity Oxygen Fuel) Spray Coating High-energy thermal spray process producing exceptionally dense, hard coatings with minimal porosity for wear- and erosion-resistant applications including tungsten carbide, chromium carbide, and metallic alloy coatings on gas turbines and industrial machinery.
• Wire Arc Spray Coating High-deposition electric arc coating process that melts wire and atomizes the molten material with compressed air or inert gas; used for dimensional restoration of worn turbine components and rotating industrial machinery.
• Flame/Thermal Spray Coating Cost-effective thermal spray process using high-temperature combustion flame to melt and accelerate metal or ceramic powders onto substrates for moderate wear resistance, thermal protection, or dimensional restoration.
• High-Energy Plasma Spray Coating Advanced plasma process producing higher particle velocities and improved coating density with exceptional adhesion and durability; enables deposition of advanced ceramics such as YSZ, rare-earth oxides, and dense alumina for thermal barrier and oxidation-resistant layers on turbine components.
• Full-Service Coating Operations (one-stop shop) Integrated coating service package covering on-site machining, fixturing, pre-coating preparation, coating/spraying, finish grinding, and quality inspection under MSC's NADCAP and AS9100D quality systems. Delivered from MSC's West Hartford, Connecticut facility to aerospace, defense, and industrial customers.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wall Colmonoy: Specialty surfacing company offering thermal spray coatings, weld overlays, and brazing for aerospace and industrial markets — directly comparable niche competitor to MSC in HVOF, plasma, and fusion coatings for turbine and industrial components.
• Bodycote: Global provider of thermal processing services including heat treatment, hot isostatic pressing, and surface technology — overlaps with MSC in aerospace-adjacent thermal processing and coatings for engine and industrial components.
• Chromalloy: Independent aerospace MRO and engine component supplier with significant gas turbine coating capabilities, including thermal spray for new parts and repairs — competes with MSC in the aero-engine coating and re-coating market.
• Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies: Provides thermal spray, shot peening, and other surface enhancement services to aerospace, defense, and industrial customers from a multi-site network — competes head-to-head with MSC for engine, airframe, and industrial coatings work.
• Praxair Surface Technologies (Linde): Operates a global aerospace coatings network including plasma, HVOF, and flame spray services for turbine engines and airframes — directly comparable to MSC in process mix, customer base (major aero OEMs), and application focus on turbine component coatings.
• Oerlikon Metco: One of the largest global thermal spray and surface solutions providers, offering plasma, HVOF, and arc spray equipment and coatings services for aerospace, power generation, and industrial markets — a direct competitor to MSC across nearly every thermal spray process.

Broad incumbents

• Howmet Aerospace: Diversified aerospace supplier producing engine components with extensive in-house coating capabilities for turbine blades and vanes — represents both an MSC customer/supplier overlap and a competitive incumbent on proprietary thermal barrier and environmental coatings.
• Sulzer (Surface Treatment): Diversified industrial manufacturer with a surface treatment/coatings division serving power generation, aerospace, and industrial customers — competes with MSC for thermal spray work on turbines and rotating equipment at a larger scale.

Emerging players

• Flame Spray Technologies (FST): European-based thermal spray equipment and coatings provider serving aerospace and industrial customers — competes with MSC on process capability and serves as an alternative supplier for HVOF and plasma coating services.
• CTS (California Technical Services / Stork): Provides specialized surface treatment and coatings for aerospace and industrial customers, including thermal spray — overlaps with MSC on engine and industrial coatings from a smaller, regional operating base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance13 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 MSC