“One of a kind, that’s what we strive for”. It’s easy to see why, as Brett Luke, Design and Product Manager at Superior Surfaces, pulls a beautiful, powder coated part from the line to show us.

This is innovation on multiple levels. Taking powder to an industry that has traditionally used other finishes, sublimating powder – something that there still aren’t many people doing in the US, and to top it all off, powder coating heat sensitive substrates, primarily, MDF. Additionally, powder has come a long way, making it more applicable in a larger range of everyday applications.

“We could see the advantages to all of it.” Luke explains. After experimenting with powder just over 4 years ago, the company founder, Jeremy Young, saw the potential for powder coating heat sensitive substrates. There was also opportunity to replace painted and vinyl surfaces with something tougher and significantly more sustainable.

First they started with tabletops. Powder coated for strength, durability and color, and sublimated to create a unique design and finish. After finding a demand for the coating in additional applications, they expanded to office, garage, and kitchen environments.

Originally, the company believed the RV and contract housing market would be their focus, but quickly found a greater demand from the restaurant industry as well as being a choice for contract builders. This in turn allowed for yet more innovation, as they sought to expand their graphic capabilities

“We have an in-house graphic transfer process that enables us to create things like faux marble, woodgrain, logos or other patterns that designers may be looking for. “What’s key is our ability to customize from start to finish. Each design is different, everyone has their own ideas and taste, so even though we have a catalogue of product designs, we can create whatever our customers want. We have full digital control over our graphics as well as the sizes or designs. We can do it all!”

As well as design freedom, the company was also looking for strength, durability and protection to enable them to deliver a hardworking tabletop into a market that sees constant the product in constant use. Powder coating delivers all of these advantages as well as a significantly improved sustainability footprint, especially when compared to other finishes.

Luke explains, “IFS Powder has been an essential component to the success of our restaurant tables. Without the durability & protection offered, we would not be able to offer a higher quality product that is cost competitive to cheaper feeling options like foil wrap/lamination. Being able to offer an improved sustainability footprint to an industry that demands “green” is a huge advantage.”

Of course, it’s not always plain sailing, as heat sensitive substrates offer their own unique set of challenges when it comes to coating. “The important factor is ensuring you build an even layer across the entire surface and its edges” comments Luke. “We have great technical support, and we have got the process – and process consistency – down to a ‘T’ now!”.

The tabletops are gorgeous, and it’s clear there is a entrepreneurial, dedicated team behind them, who are future focused for success!