By Peter Ribaudo Intern
    BREMEN — Some of the best ideas start in a completely different direction. That’s just how Superior Coatings found its niche.
    The company came to be in the summer of 2005. Founder Toby Lakins started the company primarily to apply powder coatings to various materials. It wasn’t soon after that Lakins found he could apply a variety of other coatings with a more lucrative market using a similar setup to the one he already had.

    Now the company does a wide range of services including special coatings, different types of metal cleaning, testing services and miscellaneous jobs such as packaging and pick-up and delivery.
    Known best for its coating service, the company has coated machines that range from automotive to general machining with marine or industrial coatings. They have worked with such products as structure steel, valves for oil fields, turbines and bearing houses, which they’ve been doing since the company opened. The coatings themselves range from basic epoxies and primers to zinc and Xylan coats. These coatings vary in effect from lubrication, to protecting steel or other types of industrial metals from harsh environments.
    Xylan coatings are the most popular right now.
    “Xylan is great when a product has inconsistent surface properties for its job,” said Lakins.
    If you wanted to use metal parts on a boat you would have to deal with rusting or worse. A Xylan coating can ensure the product can complete the job. Xylan can be applied to various metals and even wood.
    “The reason it’s so popular now is because manufacturers want their product to last longer,” Lakins said. “If a valve is opening thousands of times a day, this coating keeps it from breaking down.”
    Superior Coatings can coat a product in about a day depending on its size. The product starts its journey at the blaster. After the part is blasted to create the desired surface, it is then coated in zinc. After the part sits for a time, another coating is applied that acts as a primer. The part then sits again before receiving its final coating. The final coats are sprayed on and some must be put in a large oven and baked to allow the coatings to set in or in some cases, release special chemicals.
    So what does the future hold for Superior Coatings?
    “We’re just taking it one day at a time,” Lakins said. “If a service comes along that is needed and we can provide it, we will.”
    If Superior Coatings can work for you in any way contact Tony Lakins at 574-546-0571 located at 1730 West Dewey St. P.O. Box 322 Bremen, IN 46506 or online at www.superiorcoatingsin.com .