1972 The Origins: “Els Banys”
The company was founded in the town of L’Olleria, Valencia, when five entrepreneurial friends established a small electroplating workshop popularly known as “Els Banys” (“The Baths”). This workshop became the foundation of what would later be Galvanoquímica Olleriense, the origin of today’s company.
The first components treated were chairs and lamps for local customers, marking the beginning of an industrial journey focused on surface treatments and corrosion protection.
The company was officially incorporated, laying the foundations for future growth in the metal coatings industry.
1976 Ford Arrives in Valencia
The opening of Ford Motor Company’s plant in Almussafes on October 18th marked a turning point for the Valencian supplier industry. The facility began manufacturing Ford vehicles for the European market and quickly became one of the region’s main industrial drivers, with an average daily production of 2.000 vehicles.
1979 Beginning of the Relationship with Tornillería Universal (TUSA)
With Ford’s arrival in Valencia, Galol began manufacturing and coating fasteners for Tornillería Universal S.A. (TUSA), now KAMAX Museros. This partnership continues today and became one of the company’s strategic pillars.
The company moved into automated production facilities and adopted Ford’s Q1 quality philosophy, implementing advanced standards for the automotive industry.
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1982 First Major Automated Installation
Galol acquired its first large-scale barrel electroplating line, significantly increasing production capacity and process automation.
1984 Introduction of Organic-Metallic Coatings
Galol installed its first Delta-Tone coating line for bulk parts, becoming one of the first Spanish companies to adopt these advanced anti-corrosion technologies.
1990 National Expansion
The company expanded its customer base and strengthened its position in the industrial and automotive sectors.
1994 Pioneering Environmental Commitment
Driven by a forward-looking environmental vision, the company made a major technical and financial investment to build a new industrial wastewater treatment plant.
This commitment led to Galol being nominated for the Prince Felipe Award for Business Excellence.
1996 ISO 9002 Certification
Galol achieved UNE-EN ISO 9002:1994 certification, reinforcing its commitment to continuous improvement and industrial excellence.
1997 Innovation and International Expansion
Galol began dedicating significant resources to R&D in surface treatment technologies. This specialization led to the development and patenting of “ESLOK”.
In the same year, the company acquired Jean and Chaumont Internacional S.L., a specialist in Dacromet technology, together with its production plant in Toledo. This acquisition positioned Galol among Spain’s leading providers of advanced coating solutions.
1998 New Plant in Barcelona
To meet growing demand from Catalonia’s industrial and automotive sectors, a new production plant was established in Sant Andreu de la Barca, bringing manufacturing capacity closer to one of Spain’s most important industrial regions.
1999 QS 9000 Certification
The quality management system was upgraded to the demanding QS 9000 automotive standard.
2000 Expansion of the Toledo Plant
The Toledo facility was expanded to strengthen service coverage in central Spain and double production capacity.
2001 Technical Conference on CrVI-Free Coatings
Galol organized the technical conference “CrVI-Free Coatings at Galol S.A.”, anticipating future European environmental regulations regarding restricted substances.
2002 Environmental Investment and European Regulations
As a preparatory step toward ISO 14001 certification, the company expanded its wastewater treatment plant and chemical storage facilities within a new 2.000 m² building.
That same year, Galol hosted a conference on European Directive 2000/53/EC concerning end-of-life vehicles and the elimination of hazardous substances.
2003 Implementation of PVD Technology
One of the company’s most ambitious technological projects was completed with the installation of Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) technology for titanium, zirconium, and other advanced coatings.
This investment positioned Galol at the forefront of European surface coating technologies.
2004 ISO/TS 16949 Certification
The Valencia and Barcelona plants achieved ISO/TS 16949:2002 certification, strengthening the company’s status as a leading automotive supplier.
2005 Industrial Reorganization
Industrial operations were reorganized and a new 5.400 m² production building was constructed to house four new organic-metallic coating lines.
2006 New Developments for the Automotive Industry
A new zinc-iron coating line was installed for fasteners supplied to Volvo.
Laboratory facilities were expanded and new equipment was acquired for friction coefficient and tightening torque testing.
The company also organized the technical conference “Bolted Joints, Friction Coefficients and Tightening Techniques”.
2007 Entry into the Wind Energy Sector
A new rack-plating installation was commissioned in L’Olleria to process components for the growing renewable energy sector, particularly wind power.
2008 Record Production Levels
The company achieved record production levels across most of its industrial lines, confirming its sustained growth.
2009 Sector Diversification
The automotive industry crisis required major production restructuring and the temporary shutdown of the Toledo plant.
At the same time, the company diversified its customer base and entered new markets, including the railway sector and other industrial industries.
2012 40th Anniversary
Celebration of the company’s 40th anniversary and organization of the technical conference “Thin Coatings for Fasteners”.
2013 Development of Eco-Friendly Zinc Plating
Development of a new environmentally friendly zinc plating process capable of achieving 700 hours of salt spray resistance, free from nickel, cobalt, and both hexavalent and trivalent chromium.
International Consolidation and Growth
Over the following decades, the company continued investing in new technologies, automation, sustainability, and expanded production capabilities to serve customers in the automotive, railway, renewable energy, agriculture, construction, photovoltaic, and other industrial sectors.
Galol became one of Spain’s leading companies in surface treatments, anti-corrosion coatings, and advanced electroplating technologies, operating according to the standards and specifications of major international OEMs and global industry regulations.
2022 Joining the KAMAX Group
In 2022, the German KAMAX Group acquired 80% of the company, strengthening a partnership that had begun more than four decades earlier. The transaction combined KAMAX’s expertise in cold forming and high-strength fasteners with Galol’s know-how in industrial coating technologies.
The integration further reinforced the company’s strategic position in automotive, mobility, renewable energy, and emerging industrial applications.
2025 The birth of KAMAX GALOL COATINGS S.A.U.
In 2025, the company became fully owned by the KAMAX Group and officially adopted the name KAMAX GALOL COATINGS S.A.U.
This new chapter represents the culmination of more than 45 years of industrial collaboration, combining expertise, innovation, manufacturing excellence, and international presence.