Kresco is a Canadian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specializing in engineered surface preparation systems and solvent distillation technologies for industrial applications.
Interview with Stéphane Girardin, President of Kresco.
A brief description of the company and its activities.
Stéphane Girardin: Founded in January 2023 by former executives and senior technical personnel from International Surface Technologies (IST), the company consolidates more than 140 years of combined expertise in abrasive blasting system design, airflow engineering, process integration, and industrial finishing workflows.
Following IST’s closure in May 2024, Kresco acquired its assets, ensuring technical continuity, spare parts availability, and lifecycle support for the installed equipment base.
Kresco’s core competency lies in designing integrated surface treatment solutions that combine sandblasting, coating, material handling, ventilation, and environmental control into optimized production systems.
Our objective is to establish Kresco as a global reference in engineered surface preparation and finishing systems.
What are the main areas of activity of the company?
S.G: Kresco designs, manufactures, installs, and commissions abrasive blasting systems across North America. Our systems are deployed in sectors including aerospace, aviation MRO, transportation equipment, structural steel fabrication, energy, heavy equipment, and general industrial manufacturing.
Our abrasive blasting portfolio includes pressure-fed and suction-fed systems, fully enclosed sandblast cabinets, walk-in sandblast rooms, and automated sandblasting systems. Systems are engineered with integrated dust collection, airflow management, abrasive recovery, and media classification systems to ensure process stability and regulatory compliance.
In parallel, Kresco manufactures industrial solvent distillation systems (solvent recyclers) designed to recover contaminated solvents through controlled thermal distillation. These units allow facilities to regenerate high-purity solvent for reuse in cleaning and degreasing operations, reducing hazardous waste streams and lowering total operating costs.
Beyond capital equipment, we provide:
- Replacement components and wear parts
- Abrasive media supply
- Preventive maintenance programs
- Technical troubleshooting and system retrofits
What’s the news about new products/services?
S.G: Kresco is currently advancing product certifications under ATEX, IECEx, CE, and UL frameworks to ensure compliance with international electrical, safety, and explosion-protection standards. This certification process will support equipment deployment in hazardous-area environments and enable broader international export capability.
We are actively expanding into the Mexican industrial market and preparing for European market entry in a near future.
From a product development standpoint, we are engineering a new generation of continuous-flow solvent distillation systems, targeted for release in 2028. These systems are being designed for high-throughput facilities and will incorporate:
- Automated feed and discharge handling
- Continuous or semi-continuous distillation cycles
- Advanced temperature and pressure control
- Integrated safety interlocks
- Higher recovery efficiency and reduced operator intervention
What are the ranges of products/services?
S.G: Kresco’s engineered solutions include:
- Enclosed sandblast cabinets (manual and automated)
- Modular and custom-designed sandblast rooms
- Overhead conveyors and workcarts for parts handling
- Pneumatical and mechanical abrasive media recovery systems
- Robotic and automated sandblasting systems
- Dust collectors and explosion-safe mechanisms and technologies
- Pressure sandblast pots and portable sandblasting units
- Paint spray booths and powder coating enclosures
- Curing ovens and thermal processing units
- Cartridge dust collection systems
- Solvent distillation units
- Industrial parts washers
We offer both standardized modular equipment platforms for cost-sensitive applications and fully customized systems engineered around specific process parameters, including:
- Part geometry and weight
- Surface cleanliness standards (e.g., SSPC / ISO preparation levels)
- Production throughput requirements
- Airflow and environmental constraints
- Facility footprint and integration requirements
What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
S.G: The surface preparation and finishing market continues to experience steady growth, driven by:
- Increased demand for high-performance coating systems
- Extended lifecycle expectations for industrial assets and steel structures
- Infrastructure rehabilitation programs (refurbishing of civil works, buildings, etc.)
- Growth in heavy manufacturing and transportation sectors
Proper surface preparation is increasingly recognized as a critical process variable affecting coating adhesion, corrosion resistance, and long-term asset durability. As a result, customers are investing in more controlled and repeatable sandblasting environments rather than relying on open or manual processes.
What can you tell us about market trends?
S.G: A primary trend is the transition from manual sandblasting operations to automated or semi-automated systems. Automation improves:
- Process repeatability
- Surface profile consistency
- Media consumption control
- Operator safety
- Overall throughput
Automation also mitigates labor shortages by shifting workforce requirements toward higher-skilled technical roles.
Another strong trend is the tightening of occupational health and environmental regulations. This is increasing demand for:
- High-efficiency and explosion-proof dust collection systems
- Improved filtration technologies
- Containment solutions
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Explosion-proof equipment in hazardous environments
Sustainability considerations are also influencing purchasing decisions, particularly in solvent recovery systems and closed-loop abrasive recycling systems.
What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
S.G: Kresco’s most technically advanced projects involve integrated pass-through surface preparation and coating lines. These systems typically incorporate overhead monorail conveyors or custom transport platforms that move oversized components sequentially through:
- Abrasive sandblast rooms
- Spray or powder coating booths
- Thermal curing ovens
- Optional inspection or assembly stations
These fully integrated workflows are engineered to optimize takt time, airflow balance, heat distribution, and material handling efficiency.
We also specialize in custom automation projects where complex geometries, strict surface preparation standards, or high production volumes require tailored mechanical, pneumatic, and control system solutions. Our engineering approach emphasizes system integration, safety compliance, and long-term maintainability.
What estimations do you have for the beginning of 2026?
S.G: The outlook for 2026 is strong, with several large-scale industrial projects approaching execution. Expansion in the Mexican market is expected to generate substantial growth and support increased production capacity.
We anticipate continued investment in automation, regulatory compliance, and environmentally responsible process technologies. These factors align directly with Kresco’s technical roadmap and long-term development strategy.
