Metal Coating, Engraving & Heat Treating Industry Profile

Companies in this industry engage mainly in one or more of the following metal treating activities: heat treating; hot dip galvanizing; enameling, lacquering, and varnishing; powder coating and electroplating; and etching. Major companies include AZZ Precoat Metals, and Valmont Coatings (all based in the US), along with Bodycote (UK) and DOWA Thermotech (Japan).

The global coating, engraving, heat treating, and allied services market is expected to grow to about $225 billion in 2026 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.1%, according to the Business Research Company. The market was valued at about $200 billion and $205 billion in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

The US metal coating, engraving, and heat treating industry includes about 5,500 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $25 billion.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand depends on the level of manufacturing production and construction activity. The profitability of individual companies is linked to manufacturing process efficiencies. Most companies are small and compete by focusing on a specialty customer niche within a local or regional area. The US industry is fragmented: the largest 50 companies generate about 40% of revenue.

Competition comes from metal manufacturers and fabricators that have in-house capability.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major services are metal surface finishing treatments including coating and engraving (about 50% of revenue); electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring (30%); and heat treating (20%). Other services include metal processing and metalworking contract ...