From South Africa to Space: The Story Behind Cathtect USA
When corrosion failure simply isn’t an option, experience matters. Here’s where ours comes from.
Some companies are built in boardrooms. Cathtect was built in the field.
The story of Cathtect USA doesn’t start in Florida or on a U.S. government job site — it starts in 1992 in South Africa, where a growing need for serious infrastructure protection gave rise to a company that would spend the next three decades earning its reputation one project at a time.
From the beginning, the focus was clear: tanks, pipelines, and energy infrastructure needed more than a product supplier. They needed a partner who could handle the full picture — design, supply, construction, commissioning, and project handover. That full-service approach became the foundation of everything Cathtect does.
A Global Track Record, Built Over 30+ Years
Over the following decades, Cathtect grew steadily, expanding its reach across Southern Africa and eventually touching territories on every continent — Antarctica being the only exception. That kind of longevity isn’t accidental. It comes from doing the work correctly, consistently, and with the kind of technical depth that clients in critical industries demand.
By the time the U.S. expansion was on the table, Cathtect wasn’t a startup looking for its footing. It was a proven operation with more than 25 years of hands-on experience behind it.
Aaron Raath and the Decision to Build Something in America
In 2018, Aaron Raath — President and CEO of Cathtect USA — made a decision that said everything about who he is: he packed up his family, relocated to the United States, and started building Cathtect USA from the ground up.
That’s not a small thing. It’s the kind of commitment that doesn’t come from chasing a market opportunity. It comes from believing in what you’re building and being willing to put everything behind it.
Aaron had spent years working in the cathodic protection industry, attending U.S. industry conferences, and seeing firsthand the gap between what the market offered and what clients actually needed. He saw an opportunity to bring Cathtect’s full-service model — and its decades of global experience — to U.S. infrastructure.
We built Cathtect to be the partner you trust when corrosion failure simply isn't an option. — Aaron Raath, President & CEO
Seven Years In — and Still Growing
Cathtect USA has been operating for over seven years now, and the growth has been real and consistent — particularly in the post-COVID era, where the company expanded year over year with clients spanning multiple U.S. states and international markets alike.
Today, Cathtect USA works across a broad range of applications: water and oil and gas pipelines, above-ground and underground storage tanks, marine infrastructure including piles, sheet piles, and bridges, and facilities tied to some of the most demanding environments on earth.
That includes corrosion monitoring electrodes installed three miles deep on the ocean floor — and protection systems for the pipelines fueling NASA’s Artemis rockets, the program designed to send humans back to the moon.
From the ocean floor to outer space. That’s the range of what Cathtect USA now touches.
What Hasn’t Changed
Despite the growth, the global footprint, and the high-profile projects, Cathtect USA is still a small business — and intentionally so. Small enough to know your project. Experienced enough to get it right.
The same values that drove the company’s founding in 1992 still guide every engagement: honest expertise, practical solutions, and a commitment to being the kind of partner that clients can actually rely on when the stakes are high.
If you manage critical infrastructure and want to talk through your corrosion protection needs, we’d welcome the conversation.
At Cathtect USA, we specialize in helping you choose the right device, with the right specifications, for the right application.
📞 Contact us at (772) 646-2873 or visit www.cathtectusa.com to learn more today.
