SOUTH BEND, INDIANA: April 10, 2019 – Trion Coatings, LLC (Trion) announced today that it has partnered with KCH Services, Inc (KCH), a leading manufacturer of systems and equipment for the surface finishing industry. KCH will act as Trion’s exclusive Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) provider for the deployment of its SAFE Chrome, an environmentally friendly chrome plating technology. KCH will be responsible for ensuring the technology is appropriately deployed by customers in an effective manner that allows for a seamless transition of the technology into the customers’ operations.
Trion, which launched at Notre Dame’s IDEA Center, was formed for the purpose of developing an environmentally friendly alternative to hexavalent chromium in functional and decorative chrome plating processes. Developing a safe alternative to hexavalent chromium presents advantages in the market as the global regulatory environment becomes more stringent.
Trion’s patent-pending process uses trivalent chromium and a proprietary ionic liquid solution that offers faster electroplating speeds, improved wear resistance and higher performance results than traditional hexavalent chrome, while offering an excellent health and safety profile.
“We are thrilled to have KCH partner with us as our EPC provider for our SAFE Chrome technology. They are a proven and trusted service provider in the chrome plating industry that has built a strong presence in the market. Further, KCH has demonstrated themselves to be an entrepreneurial company that has an ethic of being on the forefront of technology innovation and environmental stewardship. Given these shared cultural values, we look forward to an extended and fruitful relationship with our new partner,” stated Doug Morrison, President of Trion.
Kyle Hankinson, President of KCH added, “Our executive team has made it an imperative for KCH to be on the forefront of innovation by aligning ourselves with technology that advances the performance of our industry, and to do so in a way that will make the people that work in it safer and the world we operate in better. Trion is well positioned to do just that and we are excited to partner with them to make this a reality.”
Trion, through its parent company, ILS-Trion, LLC, is majority owned by Middleburg Capital Development, a family office located in Middleburg Virginia. Also through its parent, Trion sold a minority equity position in the company to Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE). As part of its investment, Nucor will work with Trion to commercialize the technology by building a commercial facility for the plating process at Nucor Fastener in St. Joe, Indiana. As part of the agreement, Nucor will hold exclusive worldwide license agreement rights for the technology as applied to long steel products.
Stretching over 40 years, KCH Engineered Systems has proven itself as a leading manufacturer of systems and equipment for the surface finishing industry. With 80,000 square feet of manufacturing space, KCH has extensive in-house capabilities and machinery to manufacture wet process lines and ventilation systems for a variety of applications across numerous markets. As a core business strategy, KCH’s market diversity is spread across Aerospace, Automotive, Defense, Energy, Agriculture, Construction, and many others that utilize electroplating and metal finishing processes. KCH principals perform in active leadership roles within the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF) and our team supports industry advocacy issues on a continuous basis. KCH Engineered Systems can be found within the manufacturing spaces of numerous advanced job and captive finishing shops throughout North America.