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.

Distribution
The company, then known as Ralph Wilson Plastics Company, was founded on the promise to deliver "laminate anywhere in the United States in 10 days or less." To ensure this, the company purchased and still maintains its own fleet of delivery trucks in North America.

A warehouse system, now comprising 16 facilities in North America, was put in place to respond to diverse market conditions and maintain a vast inventory of laminate close to every customer.

The mid-1970s brought the real push to establish what has become the world's finest network of independent wholesale distributors of building materials. These distributors today number more than 200 across the globe and serve as the personification of Wilsonart International, marketing with the same ideals and service philosophy on which Wilsonart was founded.

Manufacturing
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, a third plant - the world's most highly efficient, state-of-the-art laminate production facility - came on line in Temple, three miles from the company headquarters. 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. Manufacturing facilities in Temple, Texas produce a wide range of adhesive products for ever-changing market needs.

Products
The 1980s marked the beginning of product diversification for Wilsonart International. Design Group IT (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 make it easier to fabricate profiled edges in solid surfacing for countertops, furniture and other work surfaces;
• Wilsonart® Gibraltar® and EarthstoneT Solid Surfacing answer the demand for a solid surfacing materials that offer maximum design flexibility whatever the budget;
• 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 exclusive "seamless inlay" or screen printing processes;
• Wilsonart® Performance Laminates, meeting a wide range of specialized needs, include Wilsonart® Chemsurf® Chemical-Resistant Laminate, available in the full range of Wilsonart Laminate designs, and
• Wilsonart® Flooring, high pressure laminate flooring for high traffic residential areas like kitchens, great rooms, kids' rooms, and light-to-medium commercial installations.

Total Quality
Wilsonart International also has adopted what President Bill Reeb calls the company's most important priority: the Total Quality Process. Every facet of the company's products, processes and people is continually evaluated and explored for opportunities to improve and make more effective the assets that have elevated the company to a leadership position in the industry. To this end, ISO-9001 compliance has been certified for two manufacturing facilities. Both of these facilities are now registered under one Corporate Registration.

Corporate Standing
 Wilsonart International 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.

Outlook
The future for Wilsonart International, based on the company's market position, customer relationships, product mix and improving business climate, is bright.

International expansion became an important new focus for the company in the 1990's. By the year 2000, Wilsonart had established a global network through major off-shore investments in acquisitions and Greenfield operations.

In Asia, Wilsonart International has established manufacturing facilities in Shanghai, China, with distribution centers in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shen-Zhen, and Hong Kong. A second Asia manufacturing plant, in Bangkok, Thailand provides access to the growing ASEAN markets of Southeast Asia.

In Europe, Wilsonart acquired Resopal GmbH, a leading decorative laminate brand in Germany, and this provides an excellent platform for growth on the continent. Separately, Wilsonart acquired the U. K. producer of residential worktops. This high volume application of decorative laminate provides a platform to expand our sales into the U. K. commercial markets.

Rounding out our international network is the acquisition of the Arborite Company in Canada, and strong market positions in Australia, South Africa, and South/Central/Latin America.

In this global economy, and as our major customers expand internationally, we are becoming increasingly successful in developing international business with our customers.

Research and development will continue to be an important component of Wilsonart International's future. Our research is focused on improving the performance and aesthetic characteristics of decorative laminate itself, as well as the creation of new surfacing products with a wide range of end-user performance benefits.