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 in the chemical tanker, rail, tank container, and industrial markets.
APC President David Keehan said the company is about 25% complete on an extensive eight-figure renovation of its Avon, Ohio factory, almost doubling 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 of their 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 the good to go for the 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 drawn from reserves so the company remains debt-free. We aim to use our new facility to catapult our market share in the Marine Cargo Tank, Rail, Tank Container, and other industrial segments year over year.”
David said the investment will protect the current manufacturing and warehouse jobs, supporting growth with plans to recruit positions for R&D, lab, and sales domestically and sales, technical, and customer care globally.
David said APC is also expanding its R & D facilities with an expanded laboratory and testing facilities, a pilot plant, and a new spray booth for product testing.
“Our chemists are undertaking terrific research on finding solutions for our customers,” he said. “As a result, we expect to unveil some great new product innovations, currently undergoing land and sea trials, which can really disrupt several industries.” David said that 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. Customers can now, for example, 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 percent of sales and will remain a pivotal component of 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 owners and yards 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 instead of 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, Tank Container, Food & Beverage, and Industrial markets.”
David said a critical factor in APC’s growth will be raising awareness of MarineLINE and ChemLINE’s outstanding performance, which the company believes positions them as the most robust and versatile coatings in the world.
“MarineLINE protects cargo tanks from more IMO-approved chemicals than any other coating in the world. This cargo versatility is crucial for many of our shipping line clients, who carry various 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.”
“ChemLINE brings rail, tank container, and other industrial applications unmatched chemical resistance, versatility, durability, and performance. We look to continue the growth in these markets to complement and hopefully exceed the value we bring to the Marine cargo tank market.”
“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 utilizing the product. Meanwhile, In Turkey, MarineLINE commands most 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 is quickly becoming the choice of many leading global tank container, rail, and industrial companies. He sees ChemLINE as having exponential growth for years to come.
