Our Mission and History: “Total Commitment To Excellence and Ultimate Performance”
FSC Coatings, Inc. is dedicated to the development of enhanced technologies for the protection of a variety of surfaces in a wide variety of industries. Our mission statement is literally incorporated in our logo – “Coatings Engineered For Ultimate Performance”. It is this effort to develop the ultimate in paint and coating technology that sets us apart from other coatings companies. Headquartered in San Diego, FSC Coatings, Inc., has been in business for almost 30 years with projects throughout the United States, Europe and Pacific Rim. During this period, we have developed many new coating, wood stain & paint technologies that are now gaining recognition in their respective industries as “one of a kind” or as “no known equals”. Testing shows FSC has built the lowest “life cycle cost” systems in the industry.
We are proud to say that our product and engineering services volumes have grown 3 out of every 4 years we have been in business – a track record of success, unbeatable service for our customers and consistency in meeting the needs of the marketplace. This is especially important since we had many years of slow to minus economic growth as a nation. We keep striving to provide the lowest maintenance costs of all coatings systems over the service life of a project.
For example, one TOP 10 amusement park on the ocean, used to paint every year…and they were still having substrate damage and rot. After switching to our systems, they did not have to repaint the metal or wood for 14 years…saving them $100’s thousands of dollars every year. And their buildings actually take waves in stormy weather!!!. This is value and benefit that is hard to put into words since they have lowered their maintenance costs by 80-90% by switching to FSC’s Ultimate Performance Systems. We truly have lived up to logo and mission statement, by developing and supplying “Coatings Engineered For Ultimate Perfomance”.
The Purpose of FSC’s “Ultimate Performance” Focus – Saving Money for Our Clients and Protecting Assets over the Long Haul
FSC’s formulation and product consulting team of chemists & chemical engineers have focused on developing “Ultimate Performance Coatings”. We developed our “Ultimate Performance” focus recognizing that the majority of any coating project is labor (usually 77-90% labor) – not material cost (only 10-23% of the project cost). Therefore, in order to dramatically improve the economics of any stain, paint or coatings project, the life of that stain, paint or coating and its protection level must be dramatically increased. To accomplish these ends, it takes radically new ideas, purposeful thought, research, testing and more research.
Have FSC Coatings and its development associates been successful in achieving this goal of “Ultimate Performance Coatings”?
We have been recognized by the Texas Forest Product’s Lab as making wood stains with life expectancies of 200-1000% (2-10 times) longer that of the closest systems made by any other company in the U.S. or Europe. FSC finished first out of approximately 15 different manufacturers in the stain, paint, metal coatings and concrete sealer testing conducted over a 3 year period by San Francisco’s famed PIER 39 engineering team. This show of “Ultimate Performance” led to FSC exclusively supplying all of the stains, paints, coatings for the nearly 1,000,000 sq ft PIER 39 restoration. Ultimately, our MaxLife Paints and RUSTOP Coatings System technologies lasted over 14 years on PIER 39 – taking waves, traffic, food spills and all. No other product from any other manufacturer and supplier can do this.
Paragon Properties has stated that our MaxLife Ultimate Performance Paint Systems outperformed all paint systems over a 10 year test and evaluation program on wood and masonry surfaces. Data generated by another major property owner, New Plan Excel Real Estate Investment Trust, has shown that our MaxLife Ultimate Performance Paint Systems save an amazing 30-70% on total paint maintenance costs over a 30-year life cycle. This dramatic savings was achieved when comparing projects coated with the MaxLife Systems to projects coated with premium materials from other major paint companies – and that is HUGE!
Protecting Our Military While They Protect Us:
With full infrared pigment and the advantage of spray can application, our Cammy Tops™ Camouflage Maintenance System has shown dramatic color retention improvement (60% better by Delta E Measurements) over the Mil-Spec 2 component water-borne urethane maintenance systems after over 2 years of test panel and full project evaluations. We are proud that our systems are used throughout the U.S. Marine Corps to protect their equipment and keep them safe while they watch over us and keep us safe. (More on military projects below).
This Old House notified us of their intent to use our systems for their first time on some interesting coastal Florida projects. Our systems were also rated #1 in Consumer’s Reports (June 2000) for natural wood deck treatments that we have helped develop, test and bring to market. The famed Texas Forest Products Lab (a research arm of Texas A&M University) has rated our wood finishes #1 in all of their wood testing categories and has stated that our wood stains & preservatives provide double the life of the next closest systems.
These are but a few examples of FSC’s “Ultimate Performance” accomplishments. Rest assured, we will never stop in our “Ultimate Performance” drive to achieve excellence, and hence, save money for our Clients and Friends.
Local Use in SoCal Of FSC Coating’s “Ultimate Performance” Technologies
FSC Coating’s work has impacted San Diego and California residents in many positive ways. You drive on our metal coatings between Del Mar and Oceanside. The beautiful and architecturally striking Jenny Craig Building in Encinitas has been coated and protected by our #1 rated wood stain and paint technology for almost 9 years (up to 2006) – 50% greater longevity than the previous 8 wood systems from other manufacturers combined! At Disneyland, you have seen our natural wood finishes on Tom Sawyer’s Island and throughout Toon Town. On the beach, the LaJolla Shores Townhome project has been protected (wood siding, metal railings and masonry surfaces) with our MaxLife™ Ultimate Performance Paint System for many years.
Selection for Protecting Landmarks:
In addition to PIER 39, we have been through multiyear test programs that led to restoring the major LA area museum including the Mile Long Walls along 405, The Torrey Pines “Lodge” and Golf Course facilities, the condo’s at Pebble Beach, the support buildings for the Seattle Space Needle and many more. Based on U.S. Forest Service Testing, we were “sole sourced” to restore historic homes including wood roofs surrounding Cape Canaveral. We have done numerous church and temple projects from San Diego to Alaska to New York.
Selection for Use on Water & Sewage Treatment Facilities:
Approximately 15 water authorities have switched to FSC systems over the last 15 years for coating storage tanks, fire hydrants, floors, chemical treatment tanks and facility structures. The City of San Diego Water Authority, LA Metropolitan Water, Eastern Metropolitan Water and Rancho Water District are all examples. The North City Water Treatment Plant has being refurbished with our systems exclusively – transformers, tanks, buildings, piping, floors in chemical treatment areas, fire hydrants and so forth. The pump stations, fire hydrants, equipment and various types of tanks in Temecula (Rancho Water District) have been coated with our new coatings for about 12 years. In Temecula’s desert setting, the SP-250 Silicone Poly Plus had near perfect sheen and color retention on fire hydrants after 10+ years and hillside reservoirs after 5+ years -- better than any epoxy/urethane system they had ever used. From protecting LA’s Hyperion Plant (world’s largest) to solving sludge truck corrosion problems, we have worked with the Metropolitan Water folks for years on their tough issues. After 5 years of testing, we are now sole-sourced in many services for the Riverside $750 Million Treatment Plant refurb and upgrade project.
Selection by Commercial & Industrial Clients
Many have switched to our systems – usually only after long term comparative test programs. All new Jack-In-The-Box signs are now coated with our systems. All new construction at UCSD and Scripps Institute of Oceanography are specified and coated with our systems. SoCal Gas uses our coatings for all gas distribution, piping and metering maintenance activities in Southern California. Texaco, Colorado Gas Pipeline and BP/ARCO have used our systems for pump, distribution, storage and refinery maintenance activities.
Selection for Protection of City Buildings and Commercial Facilities
The cities of National City and Chula Vista now use our systems exclusively for graffiti control on their city buildings. The City Of Palm Springs selected FSC to protect its major downtown restoration project some ten years and recently called upon FSC again to protect its new airport project structures against weather degradation and graffiti. Redondo Beach chose our systems for protecting their piers. Office buildings, shopping centers, condo projects, high-end housing projects, military projects and industrial facilities throughout the area are utilizing FSC Coating’s systems to enhance the protection and dramatically extend the longevities of their respective projects.
Recognition of FSC Coating’s “Ultimate Performance Systems” In the National Market Place
Nationally, FSC has made a name for itself and its “Ultimate Performance Coatings Systems”. We have supplied materials for recoating the Seattle Space Needle. Currently, the noted one of L.A.'s most well known Museums is utilizing our systems after comparative performance evaluation program for redoing the metal railings, metal doors, 1500 pieces of teak furniture and the extensive exterior masonry walls. Certainly our restoration of San Francisco’s PIER 39, various Sea World projects and the various New Plan Excel shopping center & apartment projects from California to Florida would all fall into this category.
Our OEM customers range broadly in their actual target markets and physical location. FSC supplies systems to companies who build & coat high-end distressed doors and regional window & door manufacturers throughout the Southwest U.S. FSC systems are being used during manufacturing of oiling trucks & associated tankage, water tanks & trucks, specialized metal racking & scaffolding and heavy mining equipment. In the oil and gas sector, FSC Coating’s metal systems are being used in OEM applications on portable power skids, oil & gas wellheads, production riser assemblies and service equipment. With our new metal primers that achieved just under 4,000 hr in Salt Spray on smooth steel, we are expanding into the Powder Coating OEM operations with great benefit to all.
Further Protection for Our U.S. Military:
FSC has been selected to supply our Ultimate Performance Coating Systems for many types of applications. We are proud to be supplying materials to protect our Marines in Afghanistan. Our systems are being used to provide corrosion control for some of the toughest areas on the U.S. Navy ships -- missile bay launch doors, water-tight doors and big cannons -- as applied by the Navy’s Mayport Repair Facility in Jacksonville, Florida. Several floor and interior barge bottom coating operations have been undertaken on the ships. FSC has supplied systems recoating the Marine Corps’ chow halls and kitchen facilities on the East Coast. FSC has supplied wall & floor masonry coatings and steel coatings for the Marine Corps’ 29 Palms Marine Base Bombing Range field bathrooms and bombing range viewing towers. Locally, we have supplied coatings to Camp Pendleton, Camp Morena (U.S. Army Reserves), Miramar Air Base and the various Naval Facilities for everything from barges, tanks and bathroom and barracks to trucks, trailers, HumVees, LCAC’s and earthmovers. Our LSA (Low Solar Absorption) coatings are being evaluated by the Navy for use onboard ships. We finished #1 in the recent, extensive urethane coatings comparative performance tests for Naval Control Towers.
Bio-Safe MaxLife Systems: Implementing the “The Fungus Among Us” Technologies to Safely Remove and Solve Common and Difficult Mold/Fungus Problems for Military & Civilian Use:
We have used the principles of “Fungus Among Us” presentations to remediate and restore VA Hospitals, military chow halls, bathrooms and military facilities of all kinds. Our water-borne MaxLife Coating/Bio-Control Prime & Seal System finished FIRST in the Naval Research Lab’s one year surf submersion/atmospheric combo testing on fiberglass panels – we beat all epoxy/urethane systems. In addition, these concepts to eliminate and totally stop organic growth inside and outside buildings are used on schools, hotels, condominiums and shopping centers throughout the west and east coasts.
Our People – Experience Says It All
FSC Coatings is blessed with outstanding, totally committed professional associates with wide and varied experience. We believe our staff to be the most knowledgeable group of coatings specialists in the western United States across the broad expanse of coatings development, applications and corrosion control. Our staff is our strength. Everyone in our organization has copious amounts of gray hair (at least the color of that which is left) as a badge of great experiences and knowledge in our chosen field that each person brings with him.
Our collective experience ranges from development, testing and application of coatings for the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline and numerous offshore platforms to building major coal mines and the Vandenberg missile launch pads; from coating Middle Eastern tankers & crude oil tanks to painting the largest trucks & custom cars; from building homes in Alaska to painting large shopping centers and apartment complexes.
With a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and M.S. in Engineering Management, Larry Cerenzie serves as President and Engineering Manager. His background includes many years with ARCO Oil & Gas in varied positions including 1) Research & Development in Coating & Metallurgical Sciences; 2) Design, on-site construction, start-up & post start-up activities for the North Slope Of Alaska Oilfields as well as several offshore platforms, pipeline and uranium mining projects involving coating technologies, 3) Created the national re-industrialization and energy development plan, “Producing Our Way Back to Prosperity” with the “20 in 20” U.S. Energy Independence Plan imbedded (short for 20 Million BOPD in 20 Years). These plans were used by Donald Trump in his run for the Presidency as his overall economic development plan.
Steve Cerenzie, with a biochemical engineering background and strong business management experience, serves as Chief Financial Officer. Teddy Pascual serves as one of our Senior Coatings Consultants with 40 years of commercial & industrial construction and coatings application experience between them.
Mark Gerdes, a true Master Painter, brings 20 years of coating project experience and knowledge of how to apply our systems to achieve maximum performance...including the training of coatings applicators up and down the West Coast. Luis Carillo, our shipping manager, brings a commitment to excellence to our small batch and warehouse operations. Our outside reps allow us to achieve great reach in the western, southwestern and eastern U.S. areas. Our other in-house folks, including our Warehouse Manager, Brian, and our Accounting Services Supervisor, Carolyn, keep our operations running smoothly.
Professional Coatings and Wood Finishes Classes Offered
FSC now offers training classes for applicators, architects and engineers in San Diego, the Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay area for a reasonable fee. This training cannot be obtained anywhere else given the wide the variety of operations and systems involved. Mark now teaches his students how to prepare the various substrates and how to properly apply the coatings with classroom and hands-on training.
As FSC grows, our reach into other areas and market segments will expand. Having great people makes it much easier to get there. And we look forward to counting you as one of our satisfied customers that truly believes we offer the Ultimate Performance Solutions.