Our History
Our story began in 1975 after Tom Langhals quit his factory job to focus on farming
With a little too much time left on his hands, Tom decided to sandblast and repaint some of his used farm equipment. The neighbors took note and asked him to do the same for them. And, with that, a company was born.
Over the decades, Colonial Surface Solutions has grown to become so much more than a simple sandblast and paint shop in Columbus Grove, Ohio. What started as a one-man operation out in the family barn has grown into a business respected nationally for outstanding customer service and a dedication to excellence. We have become an industry leader in cleaning and coating applications, specializing in industrial, commercial, military and agricultural products for any size company.
Today, we employ an experienced and quality-focused team in our state-of-the-art facility. Our staff is comprised of AMPP-certified professionals who are dedicated to their craft. Our facility features top-of-the-line equipment that is capable of handling both small and large jobs, meaning we are able to meet almost any cleaning and coating need you may have.
For more than 50 years, Colonial Surface Solutions has been passed down to a new generation of the family, yet the original vision of Colonial Surface Solutions remains the same. Our goal is to make your future look brighter by exceeding your expectations.
Our Story Through the Years
1975
Humble Beginnings
It all started in a barn. After stepping away from his factory job to focus on farming, Tom Langhals found himself with a little extra timeāand a few farm tools that needed freshening up. So, he sandblasted and repainted his own equipment. Neighbors noticed, word spread, and just like that, a business was born.
1987
Building the Foundation
As demand grew, Colonial Sandblasting relocated down the road to a local farm. New buildings followed as the business expandedāalways with the goal of better serving our customers.
1994
Turning Up the Heat
We introduced burn-off operations, adding a powerful solution for coating removal that made tough jobs easier and more efficient.
1995
A New Perspective
Our second aerial photo captured just how far weād comeāand how much room we had to grow.
1998
Racing into New Territory
From tractors to race trucksāour experience in farm equipment led us into a fun new lane: painting rally race vehicles.
1999
Marine Ambitions
We added boats to the mix (briefly!). While it was fun bringing boats back to life, weāll leave those to someone else these days.
Disclaimer: We no longer coat boats!
1999
Making Room to Grow
Construction began on a new facilityādesigned to house our inline blaster and upgraded paint boothāmarking a big step forward.
2000
Gaining Momentum
We installed our in-line blaster, taking efficiency and precision to the next level.
2000
Buckets & Buckets & Buckets
Our very first load of construction buckets was blasted and painted using our inline system. That job kicked off a 25+ year run of coating buckets, blades, and other heavy-duty implements.
2003
Heavy Lifting
We consulted with Anderson Guardrail on processing their overhead craneāproof that when the job gets bigger, so do our solutions.
2004
A Resort-Sized Challenge
Long steel beams for Kalahari Resort tested the limits of our process. With Tomās motto in mindāāIf you can ship it here, we can paint itāāour team rose to the challenge with flawless prep, paint, and delivery.
2006
Powder Coating Joins the Lineup
As customer needs evolved, so did we. In 2006, we expanded our services to include powder coatingāgiving customers a durable, high-performance finish and opening the door to even more possibilities in industrial coating.
2010
Leadership & Legacy
Tom was invited to speak at the Bluffton Lions Club, the same year he purchased Diamond Manufacturing, which would operate alongside Colonial until 2018.
2010
A Visit from Washington
We welcomed U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan for a behind-the-scenes look at our facility, hosted by General Manager Gene Heitmeyer and Brian Langhals.
2018
A New Chapter Begins
Colonial officially became a division of Carpe Diem Industries, LLC, laying the foundation for the next stage of growth with Darren and Pat Langhals at the helm.
2019
Colonial becomes a Certified Women-Owned Business
We proudly became a Certified Women-Owned Business, reflecting the strong leadership that continues to drive us forward.
2020
Be On Time. Stay Clean. Have Fun.
In 2020, we launched the Darren Langhals Memorial Scholarship through the Putnam County Educational Service Center – a tribute to Darrenās legacy and the values he lived by every day: Be on time. Stay clean. Have fun.
This scholarship honors students pursuing ag-related fields of study and those actively involved in Putnam County 4-H with a focus on character, service, values, and motivation over academic performance alone.
Church participation, community involvement, and volunteerism are central to the selection process, reflecting Darrenās belief that how you show up matters just as much as what you do.
This award continues to encourage the next generation to lead with purpose and integrity, with a little fun along the way.
2023
Expansion in Motion
We broke ground on our Powder Coating Expansionāthe next big step in growing our capabilities.
June 2024
Celebrating What Weāve Built
To mark the completion of our new powder coating space, we hosted an Open House.
2024
A New View
A fresh aerial photo captured the full scale of the Colonial facilityāand the vision that keeps us growing.
2025
Celebrating 50 Years
This year, Tom and Jan joined us back as we proudly celebrated 50 years of dedication to abrasive cleaning, liquid painting, and powder coating. What started out as a one man operation has grown into a nationally respected company full of dedicated team members ready to meet the needs of our customers!
