Superfici America, Manhattan Laminates & ISP Millwork: Building the First UV Finishing Line on Long Island

At Superfici America, partnerships drive progress. Recently, we had the opportunity to host Andrew Galgano of Manhattan Laminates and the team from ISP Millwork at our Concord, North Carolina lab for an in-depth UV finishing trial. What started as a product test quickly became something bigger: a collaborative effort between equipment manufacturer, coating supplier, and millwork manufacturer to develop a system that will expand ISP’s product capabilities and dramatically improve their speed to market.

And notably, this project is on track to deliver the first UV finishing line on Long Island and one of the first of its kind in New York.

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A Shared Goal: Expand Capability, Increase Speed

ISP Millwork, based in Ronkonkoma, NY, is a high-end commercial and residential architectural millwork company. Their work is fully custom, and their reputation is built on quality particularly in high-gloss finishes and polished surfaces. In addition to finishing their own products, they also take on finishing work for other shops, including competitors who lack advanced finishing capabilities.

The challenge? Traditional finishing systems especially for high-gloss polyester can take up to a week to complete due to flash times, curing, sanding, and shrink-back concerns.

The opportunity? UV finishing technology.

By implementing a UV system, ISP can:

• Cure coatings in minutes instead of hours or days

• Apply multiple coats in rapid succession

• Sand and recoat within the same shift

• Move high-gloss polyester projects from start to polish in a fraction of the traditional timeline

During our lab session, we successfully ran:

• Water-based UV acrylic systems

• UV polyester sealers and topcoats

• Self-sealing polyester systems

• Custom color formulations

  
  

In just a few hours, we completed multi-coat builds that would traditionally take days. Panels were cured, sanded, and ready for final finishing essentially ready to ship.

For a New York market where timelines are tight and customers expect fast turnarounds, this is a significant competitive advantage.

Working Hand-in-Hand with the Coating Supplier

What makes this project especially meaningful is the collaboration behind it.

Andrew and Manhattan Laminates have been supplying coatings to ISP for more than a year and a half, representing premium lines from ICA and AcromaPro. Together with technical experts from those manufacturers, we worked side-by-side in the lab to dial in application parameters, curing strategies (including gel or B-stage curing), and film builds optimized for both performance and efficiency.

This wasn’t just a machine demo.It was a coordinated development effort between:

• Superfici America (equipment & process expertise)

• Manhattan Laminates (local coating supplier & technical resource)

• ICA & AcromaPro (coating manufacturers)

• ISP Millwork (end user & market driver)

By aligning machine capability with coating chemistry, we are building a finishing system that will allow ISP to:

• Add UV polyester to their product offerings

• Deliver high-gloss doors faster

• Reduce turnaround from a week to potentially two days

• Increase throughput without increasing floor space

That’s how you expand a product line and grow a business through partnership and technical alignment.

Why This Matters for the Market

There is a clear trend on Long Island: high-gloss doors and architectural components are in demand. UV polyester systems are uniquely suited for this application because they:

• Build film thickness quickly

• Minimize shrink-back

• Allow faster polishing timelines

• Produce exceptional clarity and depth

With this new UV line, ISP will have the capacity to deliver polished, high-end finishes on accelerated timelines something few shops in the region can match.

And importantly, this will be the first UV finishing line of its kind on Long Island.

That positions ISP as a technology leader in their market and positions Manhattan Laminates and Superfici America as the technical partners helping make it happen.

Technical Support That Makes the Difference

One of the highlights of the conversation was Andrew’s candid feedback about working with the Superfici America team.

From in-lab testing to on-site service, our technical support team including in-house service tech Jacob Sloop and our field technicians has worked closely with ISP to ensure their equipment runs optimally.

When ISP needed help, we were on-site quickly.When adjustments were needed, our team walked them through solutions.When deeper training was required, we provided it.

As Andrew shared, the partnership goes beyond equipment:

“You guys are great when it comes to service and no issues whatsoever. Always a phone call away.”

Even in high-pressure situations, our goal remains the same: keep it simple, get customers up and running, and make sure they feel supported.

That kind of responsiveness builds trust and trust is what makes long-term partnerships possible.

The Power of Partnership

What stood out most during this visit wasn’t just the coatings or the equipment it was the collaboration. There were no egos in the lab. Coating experts adjusted formulations. Our team fine-tuned machine parameters. Everyone focused on the same goal: helping the customer succeed.

When manufacturers, suppliers, and equipment partners work together at this level, the result isn’t just a successful test run.

It’s:

• A stronger product offering

• Faster production cycles

• Greater market competitiveness

• Long-term business growth

For ISP Millwork, this UV system represents more than a new line it represents the ability to expand, differentiate, and serve their customers faster than ever before. And for Superfici America, it’s exactly what we’re here to do: help manufacturers finish better and grow smarter.

If you’re interested in exploring UV finishing technology or expanding your own capabilities, our lab in Concord, North Carolina is always open for collaborative trials. Because the best results don’t come from equipment alone they come from partnership. https://www.superficiamerica.com/salesteam