Wilsonart's History

Click on one of the dates in the Timeline to review that time period.
1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s

Timeline Details:

RWP purchases Suncraft Moldings and introduces Custom Edges under the brand name Perma-Edge. Production of custom edges begins in Temple.
Solid - Surfacing Gibraltar® 1/2" solid surfacing product line introduced to the market. Gibraltar® began as a polyester based material.

August - Bobby Dillon becomes chairman and chief executive officer.
Bill Reeb becomes president and chief operating officer.
Decorative Metals -- Wilsonart begins distribution of the A-Look Mirror Metal line produced by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation.

RWP officially becomes known as Wilsonart International, Inc. ("Wilsonart").
Bobby Dillon retires from RWP and Premark positions.
Phoenix regional center opens.
Wilsonart purchases a building at 3301 Center Street, Temple. 140,000 square feet plus 15.5 acres of land to establish a flooring manufacturing plant.
Marker board laminate production begins in Temple.
Custom laminates are introduced to the market.
Solid - Surfacing Wilsonart and Aristech Chemical Corporation form a strategic alliance to switch Gibraltar® sheet goods from a polyester based product to acrylic. Production of the Gibraltar® product is switched from Wilsonart to Aristech.
The International Operations Center in Temple is established.

Decorative Metals -- Wilsonart reaches supply agreement with Surface Design and Technology for distribution of the Artisan Group of aluminum textured design panels.
The first truck of laminate Flooring is shipped.
Solid Surfacing Gibraltar® integral sinks are Introduced to the market and are produced in Temple.
Wilsonart Limited, UK, is established to meet the needs of the European marketplace; additional Wilsonart sales offices are opened in Singapore, Korea (Seoul), and People’s Republic of China (Shanghai).

Toronto regional center opens.
Wilsonart Germany GmbH, Bensheim, opens; Wilsonart launches a full scale European effort at Interzum '97.
Wilsonart breaks ground on a manufacturing facility in People’s Republic of China (Shanghai).
Resopal (Germany) and Arborite (Canada) are acquired by Premark FEG GmbH & Co. KG and Premark Canada, Inc.
A seventh laminate press is added to the Fletcher, NC, manufacturing facility.
A new aerosol adhesive is introduced.

Wilsonart Thailand Co., Ltd. is established and begins manufacturing high-pressure laminate for the Asian market.
Minneapolis regional center opens.
Wilsonart Limited acquires Direct Worktops, the leading manufacturer of countertop components in the United Kingdom.

Press No. 6 starts production at Temple North Plant.
Wilsonart becomes part of the ITW family, when Premark merges with Illinois Tool Works, Inc.