DSL Coatings

What DSL Coatings does

DSL Coatings is a Dutch private limited company headquartered in Lelystad that operates exclusively as a distributor and exclusive importer of paints, lacquers, and plasters in the Netherlands. The company's product portfolio spans four brands: Van Buuren Verf (own premium label launched in 2009 for professional painters), Conti Coatings (German-quality coatings adapted for the Dutch market, inherited from the 2012 acquisition of Conti Coatings Benelux BV), APOC (US building and maintenance products sourced from Tampa, Florida-based APOC, dating to 1913 and exclusive in NL), and Gullspack (Swedish plasters for professional plasterers). It distributes approximately 50+ SKUs across 14 product categories including primers, topcoats, wall paints, facade coatings, plasters, glass-fiber wall coverings, color pastes, and thinners, with proprietary systems such as Conti ProfiColor (a mixing system offering over 1 million colors) and ContiPur HVLP (a spray lacquer system).

The company's origin traces to 1919 when house painters Willem de Graaff and Dirk Baas founded the De Graaff & Baas paint factory in Alphen aan den Rijn. Through successive ownership (acquired by Chemische Werke Kluthe GmbH in 1972; Kluthe's Contilack integration in 1997; the 2012 management buyout of Conti Coatings Benelux BV by DSL), the entity evolved into today's operation. DSL serves three customer segments (professional painters, professional plasterers, and consumers) exclusively through indirect channels, namely paint wholesalers (verfgroothandels), construction-finishing wholesalers (afbouwgroothandels), and paint retailers (verfwinkels). It positions itself as both distributor and service provider, offering private label arrangements, color matching support, and direct advisory to painters and plasterers. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; individual products are quote-based.

Name

DSL Coatings

Legal name

DSL Coatings

Website

https://dslcoatings.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

DSL Coatings is a Netherlands-based exclusive distributor and importer of paints, lacquers, and plasters operating four brands (Van Buuren Verf, Conti Coatings, APOC, Gullspack) and serving professional painters, plasterers, and consumers via paint wholesalers, construction wholesalers, and paint retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Coatings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Protective Coatings (IMADAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural coatings distribution
• Professional paint supplies
• Decorative plasters wholesale
• Color mixing systems
• Private label paints

Headquarters

HQ city

Ede

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Distribution): DSL Coatings generates revenue by distributing exclusive paints, lacquers, and plasters under owned brands (Van Buuren Verf) and imported/exclusive brands (Conti Coatings, Gullspack, APOC) through wholesale and retail paint channels. Products are sold to painters, plasterers, and consumers via verfgroothandels, afbouwgroothandels, and verfwinkels.
2. Private Label: DSL Coatings offers private label arrangements where quality paints are sold under the customer's own brand identity. They develop specific paint formulations on request and advise on product selection to build a customized assortment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DSL Coatings is an exclusive distributor and service provider of paints, lacquers, and plasters in the Netherlands. The company distributes four brands (Van Buuren Verf, Conti Coatings, APOC, and Gullspack), manufactures some products in its own factory, and operates the proprietary Conti ProfiColor color mixing system. It also develops private-label paint formulations for wholesalers and retailers.

Product overview

DSL Coatings is an exclusive distributor of paints, lacquers, and plasters in the Netherlands. The company distributes four main brands: Van Buuren Verf (premium paints for professional painters, launched in 2009), Conti Coatings (German-quality coatings in Dutch packaging), APOC (American building and maintenance products, established 1913, from Tampa Florida), and Gullspack (plasters for professional plasterers, made from dolomite in Sweden). The product portfolio spans 14 product categories including primers (Grondverven), top coats (Aflakken), transparent paints, pre-coats and fixatives, wall paints, facade coatings, floor coatings, glass fiber textiles and adhesives, hand plasters, spray plasters, color pastes, and thinners/cleaning agents. Key product systems include the ContiProfiColor color mixing system (offering over 1 million colors) and the ContiPur HVLP lacquer system for spray application. The company serves three customer segments: professional painters (schilders), plasterers (stukadoors), and consumers through paint wholesalers and hardware stores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Van Buuren Verf: Premium paints and lacquers for professional painters. Modern paint with a sense of tradition. Launched in 2009.
• Conti Coatings
• APOC
• Gullspack

Products and services

• Van Buuren Verf Van Buuren Verf is DSL Coatings' owned premium paints and lacquers brand for professional painters, offering modern paint with a sense of tradition.
• Conti Coatings Conti Coatings is a strong line of coatings, lacquers and finishing products offering German quality adapted for the Dutch market.
• Gullspack Gullspack is a brand of plasters and spackles for professional plasterers, providing a sturdy foundation for finishing walls and ceilings, applied in layers of 2 to 10 mm depending on product type.
• APOC APOC is a globally distributed line of building and maintenance products including roof coatings, waterproofing, and industrial coatings. DSL Coatings is the exclusive APOC distributor in the Netherlands.
• Conti ProfiColor Color Mixing System Conti ProfiColor is DSL Coatings' proprietary color mixing system offering over a million colors across all standard lacquers and wall paints, delivering brilliant colors, clear color definition, weather and light resistance, and high covering power.
• ContiPur HVLP Laksysteem ContiPur HVLP Laksysteem is a three-component metallic lacquer spray system (ContiPur Multigrond HVLP primer, ContiPur Satin HVLP silk gloss lacquer, ContiPur Metallic HVLP silver effect pigment) for paint sprayers, enabling 75% faster application than rolling with a perfectly glossy metallic finish.
• Private Label Paint Manufacturing Private label paint manufacturing service where DSL Coatings develops specific paint formulations on request and sells them under the customer's own brand identity, advising on product selection to build a customized assortment for wholesalers and retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• ContiProfiColor offers over 1 million colors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• APOC (US-based global coatings manufacturer)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAPOC is a world-leading manufacturer of building and maintenance products based in Tampa, Florida, USA, operating since 1913 with 18 factories in the US and global presence in 50 countries. DSL Coatings is the exclusive distributor of APOC in the Netherlands. APOC is the #1 producer of asphalt coatings and acrylic coatings/sealants in the US, offering products for roofing, waterproofing, and industrial coatings.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• KEIM (Keimfarben): German mineral paint specialist focused on silicate-based sustainable coatings for facades and interiors. Comparable to DSL's environmental positioning (Der Blaue Engel) and architectural painter channel, but with a narrower mineral-paint niche focus.

Broad incumbents

• Sherwin-Williams: US-listed global paint and coatings leader active across decorative, industrial, and protective segments. Comparable as a multinational coatings competitor seeking shelf space at European wholesalers and retailers alongside DSL's brands.
• AkzoNobel: Amsterdam-headquartered global paint and coatings major (Dulux, Sikkens, Flexa brands). Comparable because it sells decorative and protective paints through the same Dutch wholesaler and retailer channels DSL serves, but at vastly larger scale with a much broader portfolio.
• PPG Industries: Global coatings manufacturer that owns Sigma Coatings, a long-established Dutch decorative paint brand. Comparable as a coatings manufacturer with a Dutch market presence that competes for the same professional painter and wholesaler relationships.
• Hempel: Global Danish-headquartered coatings manufacturer serving decorative, marine, and industrial segments with European distribution. Comparable as a multinational paint supplier with overlapping product lines in protective and architectural coatings sold through European wholesalers.
• Jotun: Norwegian global coatings group active in decorative, marine, and protective paints. Comparable as a large multinational competitor in the broader paint and coatings category, with Benelux market presence.

Direct peers

• Sigma Coatings: Heritage Dutch decorative paint brand (now PPG-owned) that competes head-to-head with Van Buuren Verf and Conti Coatings on Dutch professional painter shelves. Comparable in product positioning toward schilders and the B2B2C channel model.
• Wijzonol: Dutch paint manufacturer focused on professional painters and industrial coatings, distributing through verfgroothandels. Direct competitor to Van Buuren Verf and Conti Coatings within the same Dutch professional channel.
• RIGO Verffabriek: Independently owned Dutch paint manufacturer producing interior and exterior paints, lacquers, and wood finishes for professional painters. Directly comparable to DSL in scale, Dutch market focus, professional customer base, and product range.
• Brillux: German family-owned paint manufacturer with direct Benelux operations, serving professional painters and plasterers through its own wholesale network. Highly comparable to DSL in customer base, product range (architectural paints, lacquers, plasters), and channel strategy.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dsl_coatings
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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 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 DSL Coatings