Curtiss-Wright Corporation announced today that it has acquired the assets of F.W. Gartner Thermal Spraying, Ltd., ("Gartner") of Houston, TX; a leading provider of wear and abrasion resistant coatings for energy and power generation applications. Established in 1923, Gartner has been a pioneer in the application of thermal spray protective coatings that extend the life of severe service industrial components. Gartner also provides laser cladding, precision weld repair and machining/finishing services to complement its thermal spray coating capabilities.
"The acquisition of F.W. Gartner strengthens our position within the highly engineered thermal spray coatings market. Its location in the center of the United States energy market and expertise in the application of wear resistant coatings complements our existing thermal barrier spray coating business serving the aerospace and industrial markets", said Martin R. Benante, Chairman and CEO of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. "We intend to leverage the significant cross synergies that exist between our thermal spray businesses and also capitalize on worldwide growth opportunities for Gartner's technologies."
Thermal spray coatings are utilized to protect and enhance a broad variety of critical components used in demanding industries such as aerospace, energy exploration, petrochemical processing, mining and power generation. Gartner applies its thermal spray coatings using a variety of techniques, including high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF), plasma spray and flame spray, to tailor the coatings for specific end use properties.
Gartner has approximately 115 employees at two ISO 9001 accredited facilities in the Houston, TX area and had sales of approximately $24 million in 2012. Going forward, the facilities will continue to do business as F.W. Gartner Thermal Spraying, Ltd. as part of the Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies (formerly Metal Treatment) business segment.