Advanced Polymer Coatings, the Avon, Ohio based protective tank coatings manufacturer is announcing a major expansion of its factory and bold new plans to increase its market share of the chemical and product tanker markets.
APC President David Keehan said the extensive eight figure renovation of its Avon factory will almost double its size to 42,000 sq. ft. He said a new state-of-the-art automated manufacturing system will start production later this year, quadrupling manufacturing capacity of its MarineLINE protective cargo tank coating and ChemLINE products for rail and industrial clients.
“This investment in our factory is the biggest in our company’s 27-year history,” he said. “We are seizing the baton from my late father Don inspired by his vision to ‘give up good and go for great’. The new factory sends a message that we believe MarineLINE and ChemLINE are the best chemical resistant coatings in the world, and we aim to meet the growing demand for both. That means putting our money where our mouth is and investing cash, which is drawn from reserves, so the company remains debt free. Our aim is to use our new facility to catapult our market share of the marine cargo tank and industrial sectors year over year.”
David said the investment will expand APC’s R & D facilities including its laboratory, testing facilities, pilot plant and spray booth for product testing. In terms of jobs David said the expansion will protect manufacturing and warehouse roles with plans to recruit new staff in R&D, lab and sales, technical and customer care positions.
“Our team of chemists are undertaking some terrific research on finding solutions for our customers,” he said. “As a result, we expect to unveil some new product innovations, currently undergoing land and sea trials, which can disrupt several industries including marine.”
David said to support the expansion the company has partnered with fellow Ohio company UWL, the global freight forwarding and distribution house.
“The new partnership with UWL gives our customers greater efficiency and visibility of product delivery times so they can plan their operations better,” he said. “Customers can now track a shipment so they know exactly what ship is carrying their MarineLINE consignment and when it will arrive. We believe UWL, with its network of people, is the best partner to get shipments of MarineLINE into countries at speed.”
David said exports presently account for 75 per cent of sales and will remain a key component to APC’s growth strategy.
“We want to expand more into various markets globally,” he said. “We have a strong presence in China but see a lot of growth potential for MarineLINE and ChemLINE in many other parts of the world. For instance, Japanese ship owners and shipyards have preferred stainless steel tanks but we believe MarineLINE’s powerful advantages will attract more business. Moreover, being a family run second generation business, gives us an edge as we pride ourselves on knowing our customers personally and giving them the best customer experience possible. We want them to feel like our business partner as opposed to just a customer.”
“We further see a lot of potential to grow in the US for both products and are working with several domestic companies in the marine, rail and industrial markets.”
David said a key factor in APC’s growth will be raising awareness of MarineLINE and ChemLINE’s outstanding performance, a factor the company believes positions them as the most robust and versatile coating in the world.
“MarineLINE protects cargo tanks from more IMO approved chemicals than any other coating in the world,” he said. “This cargo versatility is a crucial consideration for many of our shipping line clients, which carry wide varieties of chemicals and need to switch grades frequently. In addition, MarineLINE offers a cleaning advantage to our customers as they can turn the vessels around quickly and clean with less harsh chemicals, all while saving time and money. The more we invest in our facilities, product development, people and customer care, the more we can get these positive messages out there.”
David said MarineLINE currently accounts for a significant amount of APC’s business with many of the marine industry’s leading chemical and product tankers using the coating. In Turkey MarineLINE commands the majority of the country’s marine protective coatings market a position David said the company is well placed to consolidate. He said APC has undertaken more than 450 coating and recoating jobs in Turkey since 2001 with a busy order book for 2024. ChemLINE meanwhile is quickly becoming the choice of many leading companies in the tank container, rail and industrial markets globally with exponential growth potential.
