Primat

Industrial Surface Treatment Servicesprimatgroup.com

Primat spa is an Italian industrial services company that applies proprietary protective coatings and surface treatments to fasteners and small metal components for automotive OEMs, tier-1 suppliers, and industrial manufacturers across Europe and North America.

Company typePrivate
Founded1972
HeadquartersLecco, Italy
Headcount501–1,000
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Primat does

Primat spa, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Lecco, Italy, is an industrial services company specializing in protective surface treatments and coatings for fasteners and small metal components. Its core offering is specialized surface treatment technology — proprietary coating and finishing processes applied to fasteners — sold primarily to industrial manufacturers and, increasingly, to automotive OEMs and tier-1 suppliers. The company monetizes through project-based and contract surface treatment services rather than licensed software, with pricing not publicly disclosed.

In May 2023, Primat executed a step-change strategic expansion, simultaneously acquiring a 65% majority stake in U.S.-based Curtis Metal Finishing Group (Michigan) and 97.5% of Italian peer Vi.Pi.Effe Pen. These acquisitions, financed by a €50 million medium-long term loan from Crédit Agricole Italia with participation from HCI Equity Partners, transformed Primat from a domestic Italian operator into a transatlantic platform that publicly claims the position of the world's largest technological service group for fastener treatments. Following the deals, the combined group targets expected revenue of approximately €150 million across 501-1,000 employees, serving automotive and general industrial manufacturing customers in Europe and North America.

Primat firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Primat
Legal name: Primat spa
Website: https://primatgroup.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1972
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 501–1,000 employees
Short description: Primat spa is an Italian industrial services company that applies proprietary protective coatings and surface treatments to fasteners and small metal components for automotive OEMs, tier-1 suppliers, and industrial manufacturers across Europe and North America.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Primat industry classification

Industry

Product category: Industrial Surface Treatment Services
NAICS: Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (33281), Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812)
SIC: Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)
akta.pro primary industry: Surface Treatment & Finishing Equipment (Coating, Plating, Deburring, Shot Blasting) (IMAHADAJ)
akta.pro secondary industry: Thermal Spray & Metallizing (HVOF/Plasma/Arc) (IMAIAKAF)

Keywords

Fastener surface treatment
Protective metal coatings
Automotive surface treatments
Metal finishing services
Industrial coating services

Where Primat is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Lecco
HQ country: Italy
HQ region: Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

Primat business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Surface Treatment Services: Surface treatment and coating services provided to industrial customers, likely through service contracts and project-based work.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Primat product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Primat is a surface treatment company specializing in protective coatings for fasteners and small metal components, serving industrial and automotive manufacturers. Through its operations and majority-owned subsidiaries Curtis Metal Finishing Group (65%) and Vi.Pi.Effe Pen (97.5%), Primat delivers specialized metal finishing, protective coating, and surface treatment services designed to enhance the durability and performance of fasteners used in industrial and vehicle assembly applications.

Product overview

Primat is a surface treatment company specializing in fastener treatments. Through organic operations and acquisitions of Curtis Metal Finishing Group (65% stake) and Vi.Pi.Effe Pen (97.5% stake), the company offers protective metal coating services targeting the automotive industry and industrial manufacturing sectors. The combined entity aims to form the world's largest technological service group for fastener treatments with expected revenue of 150 million euros.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Surface Treatments for Fasteners
Protective Metal Coating Services

Companies that use Primat

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Primat technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Primat partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

Curtis Metal Finishing GroupcoreOthers · 1 May 2023Primat acquired a 65% majority stake in Curtis Metal Finishing Group, an American provider of protective coating and metal finishing services. This acquisition is part of Primat's strategy to create the world's largest technological service group for fastener treatments.
Vi.Pi.Effe PencoreOthers · 1 May 2023Primat acquired 97.5% of Italian company Vi.Pi.Effe Pen, a surface treatment company. This acquisition complements the Curtis Metal Finishing acquisition to build scale in the fastener treatment industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Primat competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Nihon Parkerizing: Japan-headquartered global surface treatment company serving automotive, appliance, and industrial markets with anti-corrosion coatings and chemical surface treatments. Comparable as an established incumbent in metal surface finishing with similar end-market exposure to fasteners and automotive OEMs.
Chemetall (BASF Coatings): BASF's surface treatment division offering pretreatment, coating, and sealants for metal substrates including fasteners and automotive components. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing overlapping protective coating technology to similar automotive and industrial customers.
MacDermid Enthone Electronics Solutions: Major supplier of metal finishing and surface treatment chemistries used across automotive, industrial, and electronics applications. Comparable as a large incumbent with overlapping protective coating technology serving fastener and metal component producers.
Atotech (MKS Instruments): Global leader in surface finishing chemicals and equipment, serving automotive, electronics, and industrial end markets including fastener applications. Comparable because it is a much larger incumbent whose surface treatment chemistry and equipment compete with Primat's specialized coating services in the same end applications.

Direct peers

Coventya: Specialty chemical supplier focused on electroplating and surface treatment for the fastener, automotive, and hardware industries. Comparable as a direct competitor in the same fastener surface treatment niche Primat serves, with similar chemistry-based coating offerings.
Curtis Metal Finishing Group: Michigan-based metal coating services company now operating as a Primat subsidiary. Directly comparable because it provides the same protective coating and surface treatment services for fasteners and metal components that Primat offers, particularly to the automotive industry.
SurTec (Freudenberg Chemical Specialities): European developer of surface treatment chemicals and processes for metal finishing, including anti-corrosion coatings used in fastener and automotive applications. Comparable as a similarly specialized player competing with Primat in protective surface treatments for metal components.
Vi.Pi.Effe Pen: Italian surface treatment company acquired at 97.5% by Primat in 2023, specializing in fastener surface treatments. Comparable because it operates in the same niche, geography, and customer base as Primat, and is now part of the same group.

Others

HCI Equity Partners portfolio: Metal Impact: HCI Equity Partners is the PE sponsor involved in Primat's Curtis Metal Finishing transaction. Listed as an ecosystem participant because the same sponsor's broader industrial portfolio may include other surface treatment or fastener-adjacent assets, providing capital and M&A overlap with Primat.

Regional players

KCI Group (KorroPad, KCI Aalten): European-based surface treatment and coating services company for fasteners and small metal components. Comparable as a regional player in a similar service niche, though operating primarily outside the Italian/US footprint where Primat is concentrated.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Primat financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Primat leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Primat subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries2 records

Primat funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Primat M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Primat

What does Primat do?

Is Primat a public or private company?

Primat is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.

When was Primat founded?

Primat was founded in 1972. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.

Where is Primat based?

Primat is headquartered in Lecco, Italy, in the Europe region.

How does Primat make money?

One revenue line is on record: surface Treatment Services.

Who are Primat's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Nihon Parkerizing, Chemetall (BASF Coatings), MacDermid Enthone Electronics Solutions and Atotech (MKS Instruments). Direct peers are Coventya, Curtis Metal Finishing Group, SurTec (Freudenberg Chemical Specialities) and Vi.Pi.Effe Pen. HCI Equity Partners portfolio: Metal Impact is listed as an others. KCI Group (KorroPad, KCI Aalten) is listed as a regional player.

Does Primat have an API?

No public API is recorded for Primat.

What industry is Primat in?

Primat's product category is Industrial Surface Treatment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHADAJ, Surface Treatment & Finishing Equipment (Coating, Plating, Deburring, Shot Blasting), with a secondary code of IMAIAKAF, Thermal Spray & Metallizing (HVOF/Plasma/Arc). Its NAICS code is 3328 and its SIC code is 3470.