GBIE Opens Manufacturing Facility for Automotive Coatings in Ontario

Leading Canadian coatings manufacturer GBIE has announced the opening of an additional new production facility for its SLIP-COAT waterbased, Abrasion Resistant Coatings (ARC) for automotive weatherstrip sealing systems.

The new 64,000 sq ft facility, located in Windsor, Ontario, is a completely new build that has been carefully designed to maximize efficiency and houses a large R&D laboratory. It is outfitted with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and embraces a strong culture of safety with eco-efficient designs implemented to minimize waste and reduce the operational carbon footprint, including a rainwater capture system for use in cleaning processes. This major investment allows GBIE to accommodate growing customer demand with an immediate doubling in production capacity and predesigned capability to easily integrate further equipment as needed for an eightfold increase in production capacity.

GBIE has been developing, manufacturing, and distributing smooth and textured high-performance, durable coatings for a wide variety of flexible substrates since 1989 when it produced the first water-based coating for use on automotive weatherstrips, branding the original ‘SLIP-COAT.’

Today, GBIE’s SLIP-COAT products can be found in vehicles across the world including cars made by essentially every North American and European OEM. The company has gained a reputation among its Tier 1 and Tier 2 customers for a high level of quality and unrivalled technical support services that it offers at no cost.

OEMs want high performing weather seals, and an increasing number will specify that these are coated to improve performance (particularly noise reduction in the case of EVs), aesthetics and haptics. GBIE SLIP-COAT products have proven best-in-class abrasion resistance that, when combined with optimal application techniques, ensure that the coating provides the durability and performance that OEMs demand, and remains on weatherstrips for the lifetime of the vehicle.

“The commissioning of our new factory is a significant chapter in the story of our family-owned business and marks a huge gear change taking our business to the next level,” explains Dr. David Bareich, GBIE President. “It also comes at an opportune time as we are seeing an increase in demand for high-performance, sustainable coating solutions and we are also introducing some fantastic new eco-friendly products developed at GBIE, including water-based primers and cleaners.”

“Hard science has always been at the core of our success and the new, lean facility with its dedicated R&D laboratory will support our planned technology acceleration that will enable us not only to support our customers’ growth but broaden our existing customer base. As far as we are concerned the sky’s the limit in terms of innovation in our already advanced coatings technologies, and we couldn’t be more excited about GBIE’s future,” concludes Bareich.

Source: GBIE