What HEO Coating does

HEO Coating (legal entity: Hillebrand Erbslöh Oberflächen GmbH, rebranded to HEO COATING in 2024/2025) is a privately held German industrial coatings company headquartered in Wickede, Germany. Founded in 1960 and operating with a 97-person team across two production facilities with combined capacity of 80-100k parts per day, the company specializes exclusively in high-volume black surface coatings for premium automotive OEMs.

The company's product platform comprises three proprietary processes. ceramHEO® is a 3-layer wet paint system combining cathodic dip coating (KTL), basecoat, and topcoat to deliver jet-black high-gloss finishes with greater than 90 gloss level and market-leading scratch resistance per OEM benchmarks. mattHEO® is a 2-layer polyester powder coating applied inline over a KTL primer, optimized for opaque matte black surfaces. ecoatHEO® is a single-layer KTL corrosion-protection layer with optimized edge coverage that eliminates post-treatment rework. These processes can be sold standalone or stacked, with ecoatHEO® serving as the functional foundation beneath the decorative topcoats. All three are supported by registered trademarks (ceramHEO®, mattHEO®, ecoatHEO®, HEOnow®, HEOVATIVE®) and qualified to IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and ISO 50001 standards.

Revenue is generated through B2B toll-coating services sold directly to enterprise customers on quote-based, multi-year contracts. The customer roster comprises 12 premium automotive OEMs including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, VW, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and others. Strategic technology partnerships with Henkel, PPG, and BASF Group (via hebro chemie) supply coating chemistry. The HEOnow® transformation program concentrates current investment in process digitalization, semi-automated production reloading, autonomous manufacturing, and a stated CO2-neutral operations target by 2025. Geographic footprint is concentrated in Germany/Europe with no documented expansion outside the region.

Name

HEO Coating

Legal name

Hillebrand Erbslöh Oberflächen GmbH

Website

https://heo-coating.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HEO Coating (formerly Hillebrand Erbslöh Oberflächen GmbH) is a privately held German industrial coatings firm that provides proprietary high-volume black surface coating processes (ceramHEO®, mattHEO®, ecoatHEO®) to 12 premium automotive OEMs including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Bentley, and Rolls Royce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automotive Surface Coatings

NAICS

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

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive & Transportation Coatings (IMAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Protective Coatings (Steel/Concrete/Equipment) (IMAIAKAB), Automotive & Transportation Coatings (IMAEAHAC)

Keywords

• Automotive surface coatings
• Cathodic dip coating
• Powder coating services
• Wet paint coating
• Corrosion protection coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

Wickede

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Coating Services: High-volume B2B coating services for automotive OEMs and industrial customers. Revenue generated through toll coating services on customer components using proprietary coating processes (ceramHEO®, mattHEO®, ecoatHEO®). Production capacity of 80-100k parts/day across 2 facilities enables economies of scale passed to customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HEO Coating provides high-volume industrial surface coating services for premium automotive OEMs, applying proprietary black-surface coating processes to customer-supplied aluminium and steel components. The portfolio covers high-gloss wet paint (ceramHEO®), matte powder coating (mattHEO®) and cathodic dip-coating for corrosion protection (ecoatHEO®), with production capacity of 80-100k parts per day across two German facilities.

Product overview

HEO Coating offers a portfolio of three distinct industrial coating processes: ceramHEO® (3-layer wet paint for high-gloss black finishes), mattHEO® (2-layer powder coating for matte black surfaces), and ecoatHEO® (1-layer cataphoretic dip coating for corrosion protection). These processes serve as either standalone solutions or layered systems, with ecoatHEO® forming the foundational corrosion-resistant base layer upon which the decorative topcoats (ceramHEO® or mattHEO®) are applied. The company operates under the HEOnow® transformation program focused on sustainability and digitalization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ceramHEO®: High-volume coating process for black high-gloss finishes - a three-layer wet paint coating combining aesthetic and functional surface attributes
• mattHEO®
• ecoatHEO®
• HEOnow®

Products and services

• ceramHEO® High-volume 3-layer wet paint coating process for black high-gloss finishes on aluminium and steel automotive components. Combines cathodic dip coating (KTL), basecoat, and topcoat to deliver a jet-black piano-lacquer appearance (>90 gloss level), best-in-class scratch resistance confirmed by OEM specifications, and a layer thickness of 75-115µm with L=1.85±0.5 colorimetric value.
• mattHEO®

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% residual gloss after mechanical loading and reflow testing for ceramHEO®
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Henkel AG & Co. KGaAcoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership for surface technologies. Henkel represents highest quality in demanding applications, providing a great basis for a long-lasting and trusting relationship in coating materials and processes.
• PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier partnership for paint and coating materials. PPG works with HEO Coating as good colleagues creating the best outcome for both companies with team spirit approach.
• hebro chemie (Now part of BASF Group)coreTechnology or IntegrationChemical supplier partnership for coating process chemicals. Competent cooperation that is also fun, representing a real partnership making positive things happen for both sides.
• WKW.groupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent group company (WKW Ernst Brinkmann GmbH & Co. KG). Associated entity providing strategic direction and support for HEO Coating operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Karl Wörwag Lack- und Farbenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG: German industrial coatings manufacturer focused on automotive OEM and supplier coatings, including water-based and high-solids systems. Directly comparable in serving premium European automotive customers with specialized coating products.
• FreiLacke (Emil Frei GmbH & Co. KG): German industrial coatings manufacturer serving automotive, machinery, and functional applications. Comparable as a German mid-sized specialist coatings provider focused on quality and customer-specific solutions.
• Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH: German manufacturer of automotive OEM coatings with strong premium European customer base. Comparable mid-sized specialist in automotive coating chemistry, often co-developing custom solutions with German premium automakers.
• Mankiewicz Gebr. & Co. German coatings manufacturer specializing in high-quality industrial and automotive coatings, including premium OEM finishes. Comparable in serving premium European automotive customers with a focus on quality-differentiated coating solutions.
• Hillebrand Coating: Direct peer and related entity (referenced in HEO's website footer). Provides industrial coating services in the automotive supply chain, sharing customer overlap and likely common ownership via the WKW.group connection.

Broad incumbents

• Axalta Coating Systems: Global coatings manufacturer with strong automotive OEM and refinish presence, including premium European automakers. Comparable end-market exposure to premium automotive surface coatings, though at global scale and as a material supplier rather than toll applicator.
• PPG Industries: Global coatings leader with automotive OEM coatings as a core segment. Already a strategic supplier partner to HEO (PPG Deutschland), PPG represents an upstream comparable in automotive coating chemistry rather than a direct toll-coating competitor.
• BASF Coatings: Global automotive coatings division of BASF, serving premium OEMs worldwide. Indirectly comparable as a key chemistry provider to HEO (via hebro chemie partnership) and a benchmark for automotive coating technology development.
• WKW.group: Parent group company (WKW Ernst Brinkmann GmbH & Co. KG) referenced on HEO's website. A broader automotive components group that provides strategic direction and shared services to HEO Coating, making it a corporate sibling rather than direct competitor but highly relevant for group-level comparison.

Others

• Dürr AG: German-based global leader in painting and surface finishing systems, including automotive OEM paint shops. Comparable in serving premium automotive surface treatment needs, though at a much larger scale and as a systems integrator rather than toll coater.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HEOcoating
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heocoating

Compliance3 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 HEO Coating