SHM

What SHM does

SHM s.r.o. is a Czech privately-held industrial coatings company headquartered in Šumperk that specializes in Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) thin-film coatings for cutting tools, forming tools, and industrial components. The company operates four commercial coating machines plus laboratory equipment (DynaMAG) at its Šumperk facility, and has developed approximately 60 coating versions backed by 9 granted patents. Core deposition technologies combine low-voltage arc evaporation and magnetron sputtering, with a proprietary segmented magnetron cathode enabling simultaneous co-deposition in a single process step — a differentiator that allows unique coating compositions unattainable through single-technique processes. SHM also designs and builds its own commercial and laboratory PVD coating equipment (Iona system), giving it vertical control over equipment, process, and end coating.

The business model is a mix of recurring coating services, R&D / custom coating development, surface treatment (stripping, sandblasting, polishing), tool renovation, and equipment sales. Pricing is per-project and not publicly disclosed. SHM goes to market through direct enterprise field sales with technical sales representatives and structured pick-up / delivery logistics; a wholly-owned subsidiary, SHM Slovakia, s.r.o., covers the Slovakian market, and Polish-language material plus Polish-based technical sales advisors indicate active expansion into Poland. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, SA 8000, EFQM, and Zelená Firma certifications, signals of enterprise-grade compliance and ESG positioning.

The primary customer segment is industrial tool manufacturers (cutting and forming tools used in difficult machining conditions), with secondary segments in industrial components (optics, electronics, consumer goods, architecture) and healthcare / medical applications (biocompatibility and bacterial inhibition). Named customer Dormer Pramet s.r.o. is an R&D co-development partner in cutting-tool coatings. SHM maintains a deep academic and research network across Czech institutions (HiLASE Centre, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno University of Technology, and others), which underpins its R&D pipeline and talent pipeline. Company leadership is founder-led: Mojmír Jílek is the owner and Petr Mrkos, MBA is the Director General, with PhD-led R&D under Vjačeslav Sochora.

Name

SHM

Legal name

SHM, s.r.o.

Website

https://shm-cz.cz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SHM s.r.o. is a Czech industrial PVD coating company that develops and applies approximately 60 thin-film coating versions for cutting tools, forming tools, and components, serving tool manufacturers, component makers, and healthcare customers across Central Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Surface Treatment — PVD Coating Services

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Protective Coatings (IMADAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deposition Equipment (CVD/PVD/ALD/Epitaxy) (HDAHAEAB), Thin-Film Deposition Materials (PVD/CVD/ALD Targets & Precursors) (HDAHAGAH)

Keywords

• PVD coatings
• Surface treatment
• Thin film deposition
• Industrial coatings
• Coating equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Sumperk

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PVD Coating Services: Application of PVD coatings to industrial tools and components, providing improved resistance to wear, corrosion, high temperatures, and other adverse effects. The core revenue driver for SHM.
2. R&D and Custom Coating Development: Development of new PVD coating concepts, customer-specific coating modifications, laboratory and industrial testing of coatings, and specialized holder construction.
3. Coating Equipment Design and Construction: Design, implementation, and upgrade of commercial and laboratory PVD coating equipment, sold to customers and partners.
4. Surface Treatment Services: Surface preparation services including stripping, dry/wet sandblasting, deburring, manual polishing, tumbling, tool conservation, and aluminum removal prior to or following PVD coating.
5. Tool Renovation Services: Complete renovation of press tools including removal of old coating, manual polishing, application and polishing of new coating.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SHM provides Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) coating services using low-voltage arc evaporation and magnetron sputtering to apply hard, wear-resistant thin films to industrial tools and components. Beyond service coating, the company develops and manufactures its own commercial PVD coating equipment (Iona) and laboratory equipment (DynaMAG), and offers R&D, coating development, tool renovation, laboratory analysis, and DIALOG training to industrial customers.

Product overview

SHM is an industrial company specializing in Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) coatings and surface technologies. The core offering consists of industrial PVD coatings (thin layers 1-30 µm) providing wear, corrosion, and high-temperature resistance for tools and components. The product portfolio centers on approximately 60 coating versions developed through 9 granted patents, using low-voltage arc evaporation and magnetron sputtering technologies. SHM operates 4 commercial coating machines and provides complementary services including surface treatment preparation (stripping, sandblasting, polishing), laboratory analysis, coating equipment design/construction, express coating (Termin Turbo), tool renovation, and professional training (DIALOG). The company develops proprietary coating equipment (Iona commercial, DynaMAG laboratory) and serves industrial customers in machining, forming, optics, electronics, consumer goods, architecture, and healthcare sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PVD Coating Services Contract Physical Vapour Deposition coating service that applies wear-resistant thin films to industrial tools and components using low-voltage arc evaporation and magnetron sputtering. Service uses approximately 60 coating variants across four commercial coating machines. Targeted at manufacturers in automotive, tool-making, mechanical engineering, aerospace, and medical sectors.
• Termin Turbo Express Coating Express PVD coating service offering accelerated turnaround on coated tools and components for industrial customers with urgent production deadlines.
• Tool Renovation Services Service restoring and re-coating worn industrial tools and components to extend usable life, provided as a complement to PVD coating services.
• Iona Commercial Coating Equipment Proprietary commercial-scale PVD coating equipment engineered and manufactured by SHM for industrial customers seeking in-house production coating capability.
• DynaMAG Laboratory Equipment Proprietary laboratory-scale PVD coating platform designed by SHM for research, process development, and small-batch coating in laboratory environments.
• Coating Equipment Design and Construction Custom engineering, design, and installation of PVD coating systems tailored to customer production requirements, leveraging SHM's in-house process and equipment expertise.
• PVD Coating Development and R&D Research and development of new PVD coating chemistry and processes, including the company's catalogue of approximately 60 coating variants and nine patented technologies, delivered to industrial customers as custom development projects.
• DIALOG Training Structured training program delivered by SHM to industrial customers and partners on PVD coating process operation, equipment handling, and application know-how.
• Laboratory Analysis Services Laboratory-based analysis services supporting coating development, quality control, and customer-specific coating characterization requirements.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HiLASE Center, Fyzikální ústav AV ČRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with the HiLASE Center at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences on laser-based surface engineering and advanced coating technologies.
• Palacký University Olomouc – Faculty of SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research collaboration with the Faculty of Science at Palacký University in Olomouc on materials science and PVD coating development.
• University of Defense (Univerzita obrany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with the University of Defense on defense-related materials and surface engineering applications.
• Tomas Bata University in ZlínminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative R&D partnership with Tomas Bata University on materials and surface technology research.
• Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation (CNT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on nanomaterials and advanced technologies related to surface coatings.
• Masaryk University – Faculty of ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership with Masaryk University's Faculty of Science.
• Institute of Thermomechanics, Czech Academy of SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on thermomechanical properties and applications of PVD coatings.
• Centrum výzkumu Řež s.r.o.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApplied research partnership in the field of nuclear and energy research applications.
• Regional Technology Institute (RTI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional research collaboration with the Regional Technology Institute as a research center.
• PlasmaSolveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration partner specializing in plasma technology applications for surface engineering.
• Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with CTU Prague on engineering and materials science research.
• University of West Bohemia in PlzeňminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of West Bohemia.
• Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences on fundamental and applied physics of thin films and coatings.
• Technische Universität Bergakademie FreibergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic collaboration with TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany) on materials science.
• Technical University of Liberec (TUL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Technical University of Liberec on textile and materials technologies.
• Brno University of Technology (VUT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with VUT Brno on mechanical engineering and materials research.
• Dormer Pramet s.r.o.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial collaboration with Dormer Pramet, a major manufacturer of cutting tools, on the development and testing of PVD coatings for cutting tool applications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Bodycote: Global provider of surface treatments including coatings, heat treatment, and hot isostatic pressing, with hundreds of facilities worldwide. Comparable in offering coating services for industrial customers, though as a broad incumbent rather than PVD specialist.
• Plansee Group: Austrian-headquartered global manufacturer of refractory metals and surface-engineered components, with PVD-related capabilities serving tooling and industrial markets. Comparable in materials science depth and PVD-adjacent technology, but broader and materials-focused.
• Oerlikon Balzers: Global market leader in PVD and other thin-film coatings for cutting tools, forming tools, and precision components, operating the largest coating service network worldwide. Directly comparable in technology and customer base to SHM but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• HEF Group: French-headquartered specialist in surface engineering and PVD/PECVD coatings for mechanical, aerospace, and tooling applications. Directly comparable as a mid-sized specialty PVD coater serving industrial customers with proprietary deposition technology.
• IHI Ionbond: Global provider of PVD, CVD, and PACVD coatings for tooling, automotive, and decorative applications, with a network of coating centers across Europe, North America, and Asia. Closely comparable in core PVD service offering and industrial customer focus.
• CemeCon: German specialist in PVD coating of precision cutting tools, with proprietary coating materials and a strong focus on the European tooling market. Closely comparable in core technology (PVD), customer focus (cutting tools), and mid-sized specialty positioning.
• Wallwork Group: UK-based provider of heat treatment and PVD coating services for tooling, aerospace, and automotive customers. Directly comparable as a mid-sized European specialty coater using PVD technology for industrial cutting and forming tool applications.
• voestalpine eifeler: Subsidiary of voestalpine providing PVD coatings for tooling, automotive, and industrial components across European coating centers. Directly comparable as a specialty PVD coating service provider serving the same industrial tool and component customers as SHM.

Others

• Dormer Pramet: Major global cutting tool manufacturer and disclosed SHM collaboration/customer partner. Adjacent in the value chain as a customer of PVD coating services and participant in cutting tool R&D, providing insight into SHM's primary end-market.

Regional players

• Balzers (part of Oerlikon) - same as #1 if redundant: Omitted due to redundancy with Oerlikon Balzers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SHMsumperk
• Facebookfacebook.com/SHM.Sumperk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shm-s-r-o
• Instagraminstagram.com/shm.sumperk

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 SHM