Industry: Agriculture / Ethanol Production | Service: Industrial Painting / Tank Exterior Coating | Contractor: TMI Coatings, LLC (AMPP QP 1 & QP 2 Certified)
Challenge
POET, the world’s largest producer of bioethanol, contracted TMI Coatings to clean and repaint four exterior storage tanks at one of its production facilities. The tanks were corroded and required a complete coating renewal. The project carried a firm deadline: all work had to be completed by the end of May. POET needed a contractor who could mobilize multiple experienced crew members quickly and execute a four-tank scope on a compressed timeline without compromising preparation quality or coating performance.
Solution
TMI Coatings, LLC (TMI) allocated a full crew of experienced technicians to the project to meet POET’s non-negotiable deadline. TMI laid containment cover 12 feet out from the perimeter of each tank to capture paint chips and wash water for proper disposal.
TMI pressure-washed each tank to remove dirt, debris, and surface contaminants, then hand- and power-tool cleaned as needed to remove loose rust and failing coating. All wash water and paint debris were collected into totes for owner disposal. TMI spot primed corroded and bare areas with Sherwin-Williams Macropoxy 646 epoxy by brush and roller, then applied Sherwin-Williams Corothane 1 High Solids urethane topcoat to 100% of all four tank exteriors. Corothane 1 was selected for its gloss retention, color stability, and resistance to UV and chemical exposure in the ethanol production environment.
Result
TMI completed all four storage tanks before the May deadline. POET’s project contact stated that the crew worked hard, met the firm deadline, and was very happy overall with the result. The tanks now carry a two-coat Sherwin-Williams protective system providing long-term corrosion protection, UV resistance, and aesthetic restoration across the facility’s visible tank farm. This project adds to TMI’s growing portfolio of ethanol and biofuels work, complementing pipe painting and tank lining projects at other ethanol production facilities.
Why TMI Coatings
TMI Coatings is an AMPP QP 1 and QP 2 certified industrial painting contractor with 40 years of experience in ethanol production, biofuels, agricultural infrastructure, and manufacturing environments. Exterior storage tank painting is one of TMI’s highest-volume service lines, a systematized scope that TMI has executed at ethanol plants, grain facilities, chemical plants, water utilities, and manufacturing operations across the continental United States. TMI deploys its own field crews nationwide with NACE CIP Level 3 certified inspection personnel.