Kelly Bros leaves its mark on the Italian motorways
June 21 2021
Over 7,500 tons of thermoplastic paints will arrive from Ireland in the next three years in 20 warehouses around Italy to renew the Autostrade per l’Italia SpA signage . The important order was awarded to the Irish Kelly Bros International .
Founded in the 1950s, the family business has 70 employees in its two offices, in Ireland and in the United Kingdom, and exports to 15 countries in Europe, Africa and North America.
As Damien Kelly, second generation representative with his brother Raymond at the helm of the company explains: “We have nearly 70 years of experience in manufacturing and applying quality assured road sign and anti-slip products that are innovative, sustainable and most importantly, safe. Our road marking product portfolio includes thermoplastics, cold plastics and water-based paints. Our products have been certified by BSI, BASt, AETEC and most road authorities throughout Europe, including the Scandinavian, Polish and Czech road administrations. Being both manufacturers and contractors gives us end-to-end supervision, allowing us to continuously improve material performance and exceed expectations ”.
Road safety from the desert to the Arctic
Road markings must be able to cope with the climatic conditions of each region. For example, in Scandinavia road sign materials must withstand the harsh abrasions caused by snow blowers. On the other hand, in hot climates, high temperatures cause the bitumen to melt which tends to deposit on the white road markings causing them to blacken. In those regions, road sign materials must be able to repel and maintain the whiteness of the line as much as possible. Road safety also depends on the quality of the signage.
Kelly Bros in Italy since 2006
Kelly Bros has been operating in the Italian market since 2006, mainly targeting the motorway maintenance and construction sectors. “ The key product we supply in Italy is Briteline Spray , the so-called super-thin, which allows you to apply less product on asphalt exceeding the required specifications – explains Damien Kelly, Sales and Technical Director . – We operate with a distribution center in Milan and we are looking to open another in Southern Italy. In Italy we work closely with partners such as Team Report , Prealux and SI.SE. Our main customer is Autostrade per l’Italia (ASPI). We have been working with them since 2016 and have just won our third consecutive contract until 2024. ”
The secret of success? Innovative quality and competitive price. “ Kelly Bros has the advantage of being in this industry for so long that they have developed a reliable network of top quality suppliers at great prices, especially when it comes to such large supplies as is the case with ASPI. But it is our ongoing commitment to research and development of innovative solutions that sets us apart “.
Innovation and sustainability
Time and speed of application are crucial in the road sign industry. “ Together with ASPI we have continuously improved our material – explains Raymond Kelly, Operations Director. – As our unique high flow material product that improves heating and refilling times which are less than a minute. We maintain very high short and long term values for retroreflectivity, which is a high quality combination of glass beads and titanium dioxide. We have also developed a new technology for using organic binder, a natural resin derived from trees that has a lower environmental impact than the acrylic versions. ”
A green commitment that Kelly Bros also carries out with reforestation projects and the installation of wind turbines at the plant in order to improve the carbon footprint.