About
Meet the CEO
Company founder and industry expert Peter Chapman has a rich background in Art & Design, spanning several decades. In the early years, his studies led him to Germany where he worked at a furniture factory, later returning to the UK as a gifted cabinet maker.
In 1985, Peter took this trade to Greece, where he relocated with wife Gianna and worked as a bespoke cabinet maker until 1994. During his time in Greece, through his day-to-day work as a master craftsman he would encounter the highly reputed Salchi Wood Coatings.
Peter would go on to play a significant leading role in wood coatings by bringing this pioneering brand to the UK. So impressed with the quality of Salchi products, in 1996 he set up UK-based Woodfinishes. Salchi was eventually acquired by BASF who later sold the product range to ICA. Woodfinishes continued importing and distributing the premium quality range of wood coatings under the ICA Group brand.
Customised Service
Woodfinishes provide a total coating solution and specialise in protective, decorative, high quality finishes for wood, metal, plastic, and glass.
Colour Mixing
Upon request, Woodfinishes will also produce bespoke paints, custom made to your individual requirements.
Technical Support
Using over 25 years’ practical expertise,we can advise on our expansive range of solvent and water-based wood products, including stains lacquers and paints.
History
Salchi Wood Coatings becomes ICA
1930s – Salchi is established as a joint venture company between Lorilleux (Paris) and Clark Hartog (London) with one production unit in Milan (Italy).
1950s – Salchi is the first company to introduce polyester coatings to the furniture industry, alkyd melamine coatings for car bodies and epoxy coatings for heavy duty uses.
1960s – Lorilleux and Clark Hartog sell Salchi to Glidden Corp (Cleveland – USA) and go on to develop the industrial coatings for metal and wood furniture coatings.
1980s – Salchi introduce speciality UV curing and water-based coatings for wood and furniture and electrocoating and powder coat paint for metal.
1990s – In 1998 Salchi was acquired by BASF.
2000s – As a market leader in producing specialised coatings for wood, during 2004 ICA Group acquired Salchi from BASF and rebranded it as ICA.
About Woodfinishes
1990s – Based in Yeovil Woodfinishes become a leading UK supplier of Salchi products and BASF automotive grade polyesters.
2001 – Peter’s brother Michael establishes a Midlands depot trading as Technicoat Ltd. Woodfinishes becomes incorporated, with Gianna and Peter as Managing Directors.
2011 – Collaboration with sub-distributor, Romford-based Car Colour Services.
2013 – Woodfinishes move to bigger premises in Yeovil, Somerset.
December 2020 – Woodfinishes is acquired by Eguchi Iwao, one of the world’s top coatings distributors.