Winoa  Winoa is a French company, world leader in the production and sales of steel abrasives, specialized in the treatment and transformation of metallic surfaces, and stone cutting. Winoa is the world leader in steel abrasives, from production to sale, and the provision of related services. These cast-steel abrasives, in the form of shot or grit (obtained by crushing shot), are used for the shot blasting of industrial components. For over 50 years they have offered an environmentally-friendly alternative to sandblasting for the cleaning and preparation of surfaces. Winoa is headquartered in Le Cheylas (Isère), where it was founded. In addition to its French plant, research and test centers, it has 10 manufacturing facilities located in Spain, Canada, South Korea, the United States, Japan, Slovenia, Brazil, Thailand, South Africa and Russia. 180 people work at Le Cheylas. The company was founded in 1961 through a joint venture between a subsidiary of the French group Wendel and the US Wheelabrator corporation. The company took the name WINOA on its 50th anniversary in 2011. In the 1980s, the group underwent development following acquisitions in the UK, Italy, Canada and the United States. This development continued into the 1990s in the Czech Republic, Spain, Austria, Slovenia, South Africa, Brazil and Asia (China, Korea, Thailand and Japan). In 2005, Winoa was acquired by . In 2014, the investment firm acquired the company which had suffered from the 2009 economic crisis, in which its primary markets (the automotive, steel and construction industries) had slowed significantly. The group, subsequently restructured, set its focus on three regions: Russia, India, and Southeast Asia. On March 21, 2017, after three years of debt restructuring, KPS Capital Partners LP became its majority shareholder. The company announced its intention to develop in China and India.