Berlac AG

What Berlac AG does

Berlac AG is a Swiss specialty and effect coatings manufacturer founded in 1928 by Kurt Berger in St. Gallen and headquartered since 1932 in Sissach, Switzerland. The company develops and produces premium coatings and industrial printing inks for decorative and functional applications on complex substrates, including plastic, chrome-plated and metallised materials, carbon fibre reinforced materials, metal, and glass. It sells to industrial contract coaters, tier-one and tier-two in-house coating suppliers, and brand manufacturers across automotive, medical technology, watches and jewellery, sports and recreation, switches and fittings, and roadmarking verticals. Approximately 51-100 employees support an international service network spanning more than 20 countries, with wholly-owned subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and León, Mexico, and a layer of regional sales partners across Europe.

Name

Berlac AG

Legal name

Berlac AG

Website

https://berlac.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Berlac AG is a Swiss manufacturer of specialty and effect coatings and industrial printing inks for decorative and functional applications on complex substrates, serving automotive, medical technology, watches and jewellery, sports, and roadmarking customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Industrial Coatings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Functional Coatings (Anti-microbial/Anti-slip/Insulating) (IMAIAKAM), Industrial Protective Coatings (IMAEAHAB)

Keywords

• Specialty industrial coatings
• Effect lacquers
• Industrial printing inks
• Road marking materials
• Surface coating solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sissach

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Coatings and Effect Coatings: Development and production of high-quality special and effect coatings for decorative and functional applications on plastic, chrome-plated, metallized substrates, carbon fiber reinforced materials, metal and glass. Revenue generated from product sales with custom development capabilities included.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Berlac AG develops and manufactures premium specialty and effect coatings as well as industrial printing inks for decorative and functional applications on plastic, chrome-plated, metallized, carbon-fiber-reinforced, metal, and glass substrates. The portfolio spans two main divisions: Surface Coatings (automotive, medical technology, watches and jewellery, sports and recreation, switches and fittings) and Roadmarking products under the BASCO brand. The company also offers custom coating development, small-series production, and on-site technical support from concept to series application.

Product overview

Berlac AG is a Swiss manufacturer of premium special and effect coatings as well as industrial printing inks for decorative and functional applications. The company operates two main divisions: (1) Surface Coatings covering Automotive, Medical Technology, Watches & Jewellery, Sports & Recreation, and Switches & Fittings industries, offering Carbon Coatings, Paint-over-Chrome, Reflexion chrome-look, Berlasoft softtouch, and BerlaCare medical coatings, BerlaGuard antibacterial coatings, UV clearcoats, Hydro coating systems, BerlaSign afterglow systems, BerlaGlow watch industry applications, and BerlaPrint printing inks; and (2) Roadmarking products including BASCObike (cycle path markings), BASCOfield GP (colored area coatings), BASCOfield ready mix (FGSO-compliant colored surfaces), BASCOlin (cold spray plastic for road markings), BASCOtactile (tactile markings for visually impaired), plus BASCOplast, BASCOpaint, BASCOrep, BASCOspray, and BASCOdur nightglow products. Berlac also offers Trend Colors collections (B•I, EIII, E-IV) for color inspiration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BASCO (Roadmarking products): Roadmarking product line including BASCOlin, BASCOpaint, BASCOplast, BASCOfield, BASCObike, BASCOfield, BASCOrep, BASCOspray, BASCOtaktil
• BerlaCare
• Berlasoft
• BerlaGuard
• BerlaSign
• BerlaGlow
• BerlaPrint
• Berlac Group

Products and services

• BASCObike Cold plastic mass for bicycle path markings, providing long-lasting, slip-resistant colored markings for danger zones and cycle paths.
• BASCOfield GP Solvent-free 2K cold plastic mass for permanent coatings with high grip, used for surface markings in traffic areas, parking lots, and private spaces.
• BASCOfield ready mix Ready-to-use 2K cold plastic mass for colored surface design, meeting FGSO norm requirements for traffic areas and 30-zone areas.
• BASCOlin 2K cold spray plastic based on reactive methacrylate resins, solvent-free, for road markings on highways, roads, and public/private areas.
• BASCOtactile Tactile-visual 2K cold plastic for blind and visually impaired pedestrian orientation, with relief-like high-contrast structure detectable by cane and feet.
• BASCOplast Cold plastic product for road marking applications.
• BASCOdur nightglow Afterglow product for safety-relevant guidance systems in road marking applications.
• BASCOpaint Paint product for road marking applications.
• BASCOrep Repair product for road marking applications.
• BASCOspray Spray product for road marking applications.
• Carbon Coatings Specialized coatings for carbon fiber reinforced materials used in various industries.
• Paint-over-Chrome Coating system allowing paint application over chrome-plated components for individualization and protection.
• Reflexion Unique chrome-look coating with pure paint structure.
• Berlasoft Softtouch Klarlack Softtouch clear coat providing haptic surface finish.
• BerlaCare High-end coating solution for peripheral applications in the medical device sector, meeting sector-specific safety and sterility requirements.
• BerlaGuard Antimicrobial and antifungal coating providing lasting protection on surfaces against bacteria and fungi.
• Dual Cure UV clearcoat UV clearcoat technology for surface protection realized sustainably and resource-efficiently.
• Hydro Coating Systems Environmentally friendly waterborne coating systems, including hydro paint systems for bikes.
• BerlaSign Afterglow Colors Afterglow (photoluminescent) colors for safety-relevant guidance systems.
• BerlaGlow Afterglow applications tailored for the watch industry.
• BerlaPrint Screen and pad printing inks and special systems for industrial printing applications.
• Trend Colors B•I Trend color collection inspired by nature with hydrolacquer base colors and effect pigments including rainbow, depth, and sparkle effects.
• Trend Colors EIII Trend color collection illustrating the 'promised odyssey' theme with four exciting worlds.
• Trend Colors E-IV Trend color collection illustrating four worlds: Ecological mind, Melting heart, Hard shell, and Digital core.

Quantifiable outcome

• Road markings lasting 2-3 years depending on traffic and layer thickness

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Berlac (Hong Kong) LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2007Subsidiary established in 2007 to serve Hong Kong and South Korea markets as part of international expansion strategy.
• Berlac Trading (Shenzhen) Co. LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2007Subsidiary established in 2007 in Shenzhen, China to serve the Chinese market.
• Berlac Pinturas y Químicos de México, S. de R.L. de C.V.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary in Mexico serving the Mexican and Latin American markets with local production capability.
• Servind s.r.o.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Czech Republic and Slovakia via Ke Kopanine 488, 252 67 Tuchomerice, Czech Republic.
• Industria Colori SRLminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Italy via Via Luigi Becchetti 86, 25081 Bedizzole (BS), Italy.
• Waldemar SassinekminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional sales representative for Poland, contact: +49 172 6591011

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Weilburger Coatings: German industrial coatings manufacturer producing specialty coatings for automotive, plastics, and industrial applications. Comparable to Berlac in product breadth across coatings and printing inks for industrial customers.
• Dold AG: Swiss-based specialty coatings manufacturer producing industrial and decorative coatings for multiple substrates. Direct domestic peer to Berlac with similar Swiss mid-market positioning and custom development focus.
• Karl Wörwag Lack- und Farbenfabrik: German family-owned industrial coatings producer serving automotive, plastics, and industrial sectors. Comparable to Berlac in mid-sized European specialty positioning with a focus on industrials and custom development.
• FreiLacke: German family-owned industrial coatings manufacturer producing specialty coatings for plastics, automotive, and industrial applications. Closely comparable to Berlac in ownership structure, size, and niche specialty positioning.
• Mankiewicz Gebr. & Co. Hamburg-based mid-sized specialty coatings manufacturer serving aviation, automotive, and industrial customers with custom high-performance coatings. Comparable to Berlac in scale, European base, and custom-formulation positioning across demanding substrates.
• Relius Coatings: German specialty coatings manufacturer producing industrial and decorative coatings. Comparable to Berlac as a mid-sized European specialty producer with industrial focus and custom development capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Beckers Group: Larger European industrial coatings supplier focused on coil coatings and specialty industrial finishes. Comparable to Berlac in industrial coatings focus but at significantly greater scale and broader product portfolio.
• AkzoNobel: Global paints and coatings leader with broad industrial coatings operations. Macro-level competitive context for Berlac, particularly in automotive refinish and industrial finishes.
• PPG Industries: Global coatings major with a substantial industrial and specialty coatings business serving automotive, aerospace, and industrial customers. Provides the upper-bound scale competitor that Berlac must differentiate against.

Emerging players

• Tiger Coatings: Austrian-based specialty coatings manufacturer with strong powder and liquid coatings portfolio across industrial segments. Comparable to Berlac in European specialty positioning, with broader powder-coatings focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berlac-ag/?originalSubdomain=ch

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Berlac AG