Company Profile

Wilsonart International was founded as a producer of high pressure decorative laminate in 1956 in Temple, Texas, by Ralph Wilson, Sr., a retired laminate industry executive. Wilson's intent was never to build a major competitor — the field in those days included 12 domestic laminate competitors — but rather to fill his free time. Throughout the 1960s, Wilson's “hobby” grew dramatically through a formula comprising a dedicated local work force, high-quality products and an old-fashioned commitment to customer service. By the end of the 1970s, Wilsonart® Laminate had become one of the nation's leading brands of decorative laminate. A new plant, located in Fletcher, North Carolina, was added in 1979 to meet increasing demand for product. Less than eight years later, “Temple North” — the world's most highly efficient, state-of-the-art laminate production facility — came on line in Temple. This facility has since doubled in size and is over 500,000 square feet. Wilsonart International also produces and distributes its own brand of Wilsonart® Adhesives. The manufacturing facility in Temple, Texas produces a wide range of adhesive products for ever-changing market needs. The 1980s marked the beginning of product diversification for Wilsonart International. Design Group I™ (now The Standards), the company's line of readily available solid colors and patterns, was instituted and has become, in large part, an industry standard for design direction. Wilsonart® Decorative Metals joined the line-up in the mid-‘80s. By the 1990s, Wilsonart International's product diversification sped up to meet new market opportunities. * Wilsonart® Custom Edges add a rich look to countertops with laminate beveled edges or a variety of wood edges; * Wilsonart® Gibraltar® and Earthstone™ Solid Surfacing create rooms with unparalleled design and distinction; * Wilsonart® Gibraltar® Kitchen Sinks and Vanity Bowls may be bonded to sheet goods creating integral bowl and countertop looks. * Wilsonart® Custom Laminate allows designers to create one-of-a-kind laminate surfaces through digital or silk-screen printing processes; * Wilsonart® Performance Laminates meet a wide range of specialized needs, include Wilsonart® Chemsurf® Chemical-Resistant Laminate, Fire-Rated and High-Wear laminates * Wilsonart® Flooring, high pressure laminate flooring for high traffic residential areas like kitchens, great rooms, kids' rooms, and light-to-medium commercial installations; and * Wilsonart® Metalaminates™ provide the popular look of metals with the workability of laminate. Wilsonart is a business unit of Illinois Tool Works Inc (NYSE: ITW), Glenview, Illinois, a $10 billion diversified manufacturer of highly engineered components and industrial systems.

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