Kalcor Coatings Company began business in November 1961 with three employees, very little capital, and promises of orders from three potential customers, only one of which eventually came through. Production—with equipment purchased at auctions or from used equipment dealers—took place in 10,000 square feet of leased property in northeast Ohio.

The company grew steadily during the next two decades, producing a broad array of products focused on the architectural and maintenance markets, while also working as a private-label manufacturer for numerous regional and national paint companies.

In the early 1980s, we decided to use our strong technical and problem-solving capabilities to re-focus on direct sales to original equipment manufacturers (OEM). This process included developing, marketing, and selling our products to customers needing high-quality, technically superior coatings.

To complement that organic growth, Kalcor made some strategic purchases of other companies. These acquisitions provided improved access to new markets as well as several key personnel.

In the late 1980s, we further broadened our product line and geographic reach by entering into a joint business arrangement with Cashew Company, a highly respected Japanese coatings manufacturer. This relationship has grown to encompass ongoing, regular exchanges of technology, products, and personnel.

By the early 1990s these varied efforts had firmly established Kalcor as an innovative, customer support-driven supplier of high-quality OEM coatings to select niche markets, a reputation its stable staff continues to strive to meet and exceed daily.

Today, Kalcor supports many markets, including building components, transportation, teletronics, cosmetics packaging, and adhesives. Our manufacturing facilities have grown to more than six times their original size. Our laboratory, now well-equipped with the latest equipment, remains the wellspring of our relentless drive to develop coatings that add value to our customers’ products.

Ever true to our technical roots, we strive to understand each customer’s unique needs, and we work together closely to design a comprehensive, practical solution to those needs. It’s not just our coatings that need to work; it’s your line that needs to operate smoothly, efficiently, and economically. To aid this effort, we maintain close ties with numerous partners in the equipment, pre-treatment, and application industries.

Philosophically, Kalcor remains dedicated to finding better ways to support its growing customer base in a timely, responsive fashion. We consistently exceed industry averages in our R&D expenditures and use a diverse array of performance metrics to help determine how to improve customer service. All of these efforts help us at Kalcor reach our primary goal:

To be a successful developer/producer/marketer of high-performance coatings with a deserved reputation for integrity, responsibility, and competence in its treatment of employees, customers, suppliers, community, and the public at large.