Valence Surface Technologies Closes Fourth Add-On with C.I.L. Buy
August 5, 2025|John McNulty
Valence Surface Technologies, a provider of surface finishing services, has acquired C.I.L. Metal Finishing and C.I.L. Electroplating (together CIL).
Valence provides surface treatments for aerospace and defense components that require complex finishing to meet engineering specifications and to improve the durability and performance of parts. The company’s services include non-destructive testing, shot peening, chemical processing, plating, painting, and spray coating.
Valence was acquired by ATL Partners and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) in June 2019 from Trive Capital and, with the acquisition of CIL, has now completed four add-on acquisitions. The three earlier add-ons were B&M Painting (July 2022), H&W Global Industries (October 2021), and Fountain Plating (February 2020).
Source: Valence Surface Technologies
Today, Valence operates 12 facilities, with a combined 750,000 sq. ft., located in key aerospace and defense manufacturing regions such as Washington, California, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Connecticut. These facilities process more than 12 million individual parts annually for more than 3,000 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers, including Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, and Boeing.
According to ATL Partners, Valence is the largest independent aerospace surface finishing platform in North America. Valence was founded in 2013 and is headquartered near Los Angeles in El Segundo, California.
CIL specializes in providing surface treatment services for aerospace and defense components. Key services include plating on wire mesh for EMI and RFI shielding, magnesium plating, large equipment blasting and refurbishment, anodizing, chem-film, precious and hard metal plating, and high-performance painting.
CIL’s customers include major defense contractors such as Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, L3Harris, and Pratt & Whitney. CIL was founded in 1986 by Jim Coskren and is headquartered 30 miles north of Boston in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
“Valence is the ideal long-term partner to support CIL’s continued progress and innovation,” said Mr. Coskren. “Their commitment to operational excellence and customer satisfaction aligns with everything we’ve built at CIL, and we’re excited to help drive continued momentum as part of the Valence team.”
With the close of the acquisition, Valence gains CIL’s two Lawrence, Massachusetts facilities—totaling approximately 150,000 sq. ft.—and 160 employees.
“We are thrilled to welcome CIL’s team and capabilities to our platform,” said David Camilleri, the chairman of Valence. “We have long admired Jim and the business he’s built, and we believe CIL’s long-standing relationships and proximity to key aerospace customers will significantly improve Valence’s service offering in the Northeast region and beyond, while strengthening our ability to offer a complete range of engineered surface treatment solutions to our customers. We closed this acquisition alongside a refinancing, which provides us with additional dry powder for further acquisitions.”
The aerospace and defense coatings and surface treatment sector is growing rapidly based on the need for advanced surface treatment technologies, including nanocoatings, eco-friendly water-based coatings, and self-healing finishes, to enhance corrosion resistance and reduce maintenance cycles.
Globally, according to a May 2025 industry report from Polaris Market Research, the aerospace and defense coatings market—focused on protective finishes for military, commercial, and space platforms—was valued at $3.8 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $7.2 billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 6.5%. The North America coatings and surface sector comprises roughly 41% of the global market.
ATL Partners is a sector-focused private equity firm that invests in aerospace, transportation, and logistics companies. The firm has a minimum equity investment requirement of $75 million and a target equity investment range of $150 million to $750 million, supported by co-investment arrangements with its limited partners. ATL was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in New York City.
BCI is one of Canada’s largest institutional investors with more than C$295 billion of assets under management. BCI’s private equity program, with C$20 billion of assets under management, makes both direct investments and fund investments. Victoria, British Columbia-headquartered BCI invests across all major asset classes including private equity.
Valence Surface Technologies, a provider of surface finishing services, has acquired C.I.L. Metal Finishing and C.I.L. Electroplating (together CIL).
“We are thrilled to welcome CIL’s team and capabilities to our platform,” said David Camilleri, the chairman of Valence. “We have long admired Jim and the business he’s built, and we believe CIL’s long-standing relationships and proximity to key aerospace customers will significantly improve Valence’s service offering in the Northeast region and beyond, while strengthening our ability to offer a complete range of engineered surface treatment solutions to our customers. We closed this acquisition alongside a refinancing, which provides us with additional dry powder for further acquisitions.”
