The defining aspect that practically enhances the appearance and wear of products—be it a car, machine, or a decorative item—is protective coating. In a market replete with numerous solution providers that offer protective coating solutions, it’s worth noting when one company has been the partner of choice for industry leaders across verticals. Industrial Finishing Services Inc. (IFS) has been providing top-tier coatings and solving complex coating challenges for their global customers for over two decades.

“Our unique selling proposition is the wide breadth of capabilities in providing class-A liquid paint, powder coating and electro-coating,” says Misty Larsen, Chief Operating and Financial Officer of IFS. The company’s capabilities also encompass logistics, packaging designs, assembly work and kitting of products as per client requirements. “We are a one-stop-shop for many different industries and customers,” extols Maloney, CEO of IFS.

IFS’ unique value proposition is that as per client requirements, they can be a tier-one supplier and provide paint and raw materials directly to their clients or be a tier two supplier and deliver painted components for their clients that in turn gets shipped to their end customers. “We understand our clients’ business and the way they operate and look for opportunities to add value,” says Misty. IFS follows a unique approach toward their clients and strive to forge a successful partnership with their esteemed customers. As the first step, the IFS team visits the client’s facility to get an overview of not only their requirements, but to understand how they operate. The team works alongside the clients’ quality team and understands their approval and development processes todetermine their exact painting requirements before moving into production. Likewise, the clients are also encouraged to visit the IFS facility to comprehend their scope and depth of capabilities.

As an ISO 9001 2015 certified company, IFS even audits their suppliers to ensure quality in order to comply with the stringent quality measures they require on behalf of their customers.

“From protective finishing to highly cosmetic coatings, IFS is the answer for a quality job, every time,” says Misty.

The company’s esteemed client roster includes varied customers like Harley Davidson, Mercury Marine, Textron, and John Deere, among others. What sets the company apart from several other competitors in the market is their capability to produce a Class A part to a very high standard. The fact that Harley Davidson has chosen IFS’s coating services is reason enough to prove why the company is unique in its offerings.

To better highlight IFS’s unique value proposition, Misty draws attention to a recent example of a customer that approached IFS because he was facing the problem of paint not adhering to the trailers manufactured by them. The paint was peeling off right after this particular client sold the trailers to his customers, and he was at his wit’s end. IFS quickly jumped to action and discovered the root cause of the problem. IFS performed the appropriate testing to confirm the proposed solution, which resulted in a perfect finish and new project and customer for IFS. The IFS team leaves no stone unturned to help its customers find an innovative and more cost-effective option. The company has also implemented a lot of measures to optimize the painting process through Lean Six Sigma tools, which has contributed significantly to the long-term success of both IFS and its customers.

Giving a glimpse into the future, Misty reveals that they recently added a powder coating line, which increased powder capacity by 150 percent. Also on the anvil are plans to expand their electro-coating capabilities. While the team makes every effort to become a partner of choice to its customers, the IFS team upholds the safety of its employees and nurtures a culture of integrity and mutual respect. “Along with being the partner of choice, we want to bethe employer of choice,” concludes Maloney and Misty.