AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings Reflecting on ... - Anac.com anac

4 Global Solutions Summer 2011 Issue 11 Reflections
USA manufacturing
facility: rich in history
and production
The manufacturing facility at 1 East Water Street, has
deep roots in the local community of Waukegan, Illinois.
Located on the waterfront of beautiful Lake Michigan, the
original facility was built in the early 1900’s and first housed
a tannery. In the mid-1930’s, Midland Industrial Finishes
opened its doors, founded by Edwin O. Robson. Midland
manufactured various coatings: can coatings, conduit
coatings, primers, and bowling lane finishes. The Dexter
Corporation purchased the business in 1963, and it became
known as Dexter Midland Finishes. It started the production
of coil coatings in the 1970’s along with all the other
coating lines.
In 1990, the Dexter Corporation acquired
Crown Metro, and the manufacturing site
grew proportionately to support the newly
acquired business. As the aerospace
coatings business grew, Dexter sold
its coil business in 1993, to <strong>AkzoNobel</strong>.
It then formed a joint venture with
<strong>AkzoNobel</strong> <strong>Aerospace</strong> and the JV was
called Akzo Dexter <strong>Aerospace</strong> Finishes
(ADAF). In 2000, <strong>AkzoNobel</strong> acquired
Dexter <strong>Coatings</strong> to form the current
<strong>AkzoNobel</strong> <strong>Aerospace</strong> <strong>Coatings</strong>.
The original building was demolished in
2005, but by that time it was only used as a
storage facility. Over the years, Waukegan has
increased its lines of production through new
technologies and acquisitions (U.S. Paint