Metalcolour Nykøping – where it all started in 1973

It has been 50 years since the first steps were taken at the factory in Denmark to what is Metalcolour Denmark today. Much has changed, but some things are still the same. In the beginning, they only manufactured pre-painted metal for decorative applications, which they still do, albeit on a smaller scale. Today, what Metalcolour calls Technical Coating accounts for almost 80 percent of the production and demand is continuously increasing. In general, competition is greater, new markets have been created and some have disappeared.

We had a chat with Jakob Søndergaard Nielsen, Plant Director at the Nykøbing plant in southern Denmark.

Jakob started at Metalcolour five years ago and has, among other things, worked as production manager before taking on the role he has today. He has a good grasp of Metalcolour’s business and production technology history, despite being comparatively new in this context.

„I think it’s important to keep track of what it has looked like in the past in order to be able to make wise decisions about what is happening now and how we want to develop our business in the future,” says Jakob.

The business is located in the same premises today as in 1973 when it all began. The factory has a coil to coil production line where everything that the Danish plant produces is manufactured. Coil to coil means that sheet metal on coil is mounted at one end, rolled off and coated with coating and then rolled as a finished product up on a coil again. Between batches, it is changed to the right type of paint or coating for the current order.

„When it comes to decorative pre-painted metal, we supply most of it to our sister company DAMPA, which specializes in ceilings and acoustic solutions. Some of it is also used in the manufacture of white goods,” Jakob continues.

Most of what is produced most in the factory in Nykøbing is coated metal with technical properties. The most common are Metal Binder and Anti-Friction, which are mainly delivered to the automotive industry in Europe and China, among others. As the product names suggest, Metal Binder makes it possible to attach metal to other materials such as rubber and plastic in an efficient way and Anti-Friction is used when low friction requirements are high.

„We have a strength in the fact that we have been at it for a long time and the knowledge we have accumulated is great. There is great potential in the field of Technical Coating and scope for new innovative solutions. Using pre-coated metal in manufacturing processes can in many cases simplify and save both time and money. We are happy to cooperate with clients to assist with streamlining and development of new solutions.”

Jakob says that it feels great to celebrate 50 years as a company and when we ask him what he is most proud of when it comes to Metalcolour as a business, he answers:

„That we are unique in the industry and our staff. They have invaluable knowledge, are committed and very keen that the products delivered should be of the highest quality. Now we continue to work and hope for many more exciting and successful years.”