What Nyquist does

Nyquist is a privately held industrial coatings distributor operating under the PSE Group (Painters Supply and Equipment Company) umbrella. Founded in the mid-1950s and based in Baltimore, the company sells paints, coatings, and powder coating products to commercial, industrial, architectural, and aerospace end-markets. Its offering is organized around seven vertical specializations — automotive, aerospace, marine, military, commercial, industrial, and wood — supported by an associated-products line that includes abrasives, adhesives and sealants, body fillers, detail products, masking products, spray cups and equipment, and safety products. Distribution relationships with tier-one manufacturers such as AkzoNobel, PPG, 3M, SEM, and Norton (Saint-Gobain) underpin the catalog.

The business model is a consultative, sales-led hardware distribution model. Nyquist connects customers with internal specialists for tailored product selection across the full coatings workflow, from mixing cups and surface-prep consumables through advanced coatings application systems. Revenue is generated primarily through product resale across the seven verticals; pricing is opaque and negotiated on a per-customer basis through the specialist channel. The go-to-market relies on direct enterprise engagement, a corporate website organized by vertical, and a social presence via the PSE Group's LinkedIn and Instagram accounts. No public revenue, funding, ownership-percentage, or executive-team disclosures are available, and the company is embedded in the larger PSE Group conglomerate structure rather than operating as a standalone entity.

Operationally, Nyquist runs on a small team (11-50 employees disclosed) and emphasizes its 60-plus-year brand heritage and value-added technical support as primary differentiators rather than proprietary technology. There is no evidence of proprietary IP, patents, software products, AI/ML capabilities, or differentiated technical platforms; the competitive position rests on multi-supplier aggregation, vertical specialization, and customer relationships inherited through the PSE Group family. Supplier concentration is meaningful given reliance on a small set of named manufacturers, and the lack of disclosed financials limits external diligence on revenue scale or unit economics.

Name

Nyquist

Legal name

Nyquist

Website

https://nyquist-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nyquist is a privately held industrial coatings distributor serving automotive, aerospace, marine, military, commercial, industrial, and wood verticals. Operating under PSE Group, it resells products from AkzoNobel, PPG, 3M, SEM, and Norton via a consultative specialist sales model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Coatings Distribution: Nyquist generates revenue through the distribution of industrial coatings and associated products. As part of the PSE Group, they provide comprehensive coatings solutions including automotive coatings, specialty coatings for aerospace, marine, military, commercial, industrial, and wood applications. Revenue is derived from product sales across their associated products line including abrasives, adhesives & sealants, body fillers, detail products, masking products, spray cups & equipment, and safety products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nyquist is a coatings distribution company that supplies industrial coatings and associated products to commercial, industrial, automotive, aerospace, marine, military, and wood-coating customers across the United States. The company distributes products manufactured by leading suppliers such as AkzoNobel, PPG, 3M, SEM, and Norton, and pairs the product portfolio with consultative specialist support spanning selection, application systems, and process optimization.

Product overview

Nyquist is a coatings distribution company offering a unified portfolio of industrial coatings solutions and associated products. The core offering consists of specialty coatings across multiple industry verticals (automotive, aerospace, marine, military, commercial, industrial, and wood applications), supported by a comprehensive range of associated products including abrasives, adhesives & sealants, body fillers, detail products, masking products, spray cups & equipment, and safety products. The company positions itself as a full-solution provider supporting the entire coatings process from product supply to application systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coatings Solutions

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AkzoNobelcoreOthersAkzoNobel is listed as a key supplier/manufacturer that Nyquist works with. As a leading global paints and coatings company, AkzoNobel provides products that Nyquist distributes through their distribution network.
• PPG IndustriescoreOthersPPG Industries is featured as a key supplier/manufacturer partner. Nyquist distributes PPG coatings products as part of their comprehensive coatings solutions portfolio.
• 3McoreOthers3M is listed as a key partner providing industrial products including abrasives and safety products that Nyquist distributes alongside their coatings offerings.
• SEM ProductsminorOthersSEM Products is featured as a partner supplying automotive body repair products that Nyquist distributes to their automotive customers.
• Painters PlusminorOthersPainters Plus is listed as both a partner and a product category under Associated Products, indicating a relationship for distributing painting supplies and equipment.
• Norton (Saint-Gobain)coreOthersNorton (Saint-Gobain Abrasives) is featured as a key partner supplying abrasives products that Nyquist distributes as part of their associated products line.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Hempel: Global coatings manufacturer with strong marine, protective, and industrial product lines distributed through regional distributors — overlapping with Nyquist's marine and industrial verticals.
• PPG Industries: Global coatings manufacturer with industrial, aerospace, automotive, and marine product lines; operates its own direct distribution channels and is also a key Nyquist supplier, making it a competitor and partner simultaneously.
• Carboline: Specialty industrial coatings manufacturer serving protective, marine, and commercial markets through a distributor network that closely mirrors Nyquist's specialty distribution model.
• Sherwin-Williams: Largest US-based paints and coatings manufacturer with vertically integrated direct distribution across industrial, automotive refinish, and architectural segments — directly overlapping with Nyquist's served markets and channel approach.
• AkzoNobel: Global paints and coatings major with aerospace, marine, automotive, and industrial portfolios. A current Nyquist supplier, AkzoNobel's direct distribution expansion could pressure Nyquist's intermediation model.
• Axalta Coating Systems: Coatings manufacturer focused on refinish and industrial end-markets, distributing through its own network of distributors — directly overlapping with Nyquist's automotive and industrial coatings business.
• RPM International: Holding company for specialty coatings, sealants, and building solutions brands, several of which use independent distributor networks — a useful comparator for Nyquist's diversified industrial distribution model.
• Benjamin Moore: Architectural coatings manufacturer using an independent-dealer distribution model; relevant comparator for Nyquist's specialty distribution approach, although weighted to architectural rather than industrial.

Direct peers

• Diamond Vogel: Mid-sized industrial and architectural coatings manufacturer/distributor serving automotive, industrial, and commercial end-users across multiple US regions — closest analog in scale, vertical breadth, and distribution-led model.

Regional players

• Kelly-Moore Paints: US West Coast-focused paints and coatings manufacturer/distributor with company-store distribution — comparable business model in a different geographic footprint, useful for benchmarking regional distribution economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nyquist-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/thepsegroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Nyquist