A Century of Teknor Apex
PEOPLE
partners
History
Products
Growth
Teknorapex.com
Celebrating the people, partners, and products that are the core to our success – past, present, and future.
100 Years OF TEKNOR STORIES
Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has made this milestone possible.
Join us as we celebrate the history and achievements of Teknor Apex through the voices of our dedicated people and collaborative partners.
100 YEARS
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100 Years
The Core of our Success – Our People.
PEOPLE
Jonathan Fain Chairman of the Board/Family Member
"We've had employees with two, three, four generations of family members here at one time."
Honoring 100 Years OF REWARDING RELATIONSHIPS
PARTNERS
“You genuinely do feel that your contribution is valuable and is respected…that sets Teknor Apex apart.”
– Gearoid Clarke
JL Goor Material Ltd
Business
Partners
100 Years of
Enabling
Solutions
Products
Masterbatch & Additives
Teknor Color Company was founded in 1985, marking a major milestone in development of our in-house color solutions. Since then, we’ve been exploring new ways to bring color to our clients’ innovations.
SpectraCoolTM | Super Concentrate®
MetaLustreTM | Terraloy® PLA
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100 Years
of Growth
Growth
HERE’S TO THE NEXT 100
Our story doesn't end here. This first 100 have us ready for the next!
Teknorapex.com
Roland Ruprecht
Global Technology Director
"A lot of the success that I've had within my career really came down to people that had my best interests in mind."
Cindy Chatell
Senior Channel Manager | Garden Hose
"I love my job. I've had a few jobs here, but I've loved every single one of them."
Rachel Xu
Manager, Human Resources | Teknor Apex China
"... highly motivated, innovative, and productive people!"
Markus Krippner
Global Product Manager | Teknor Apex Germany
"Summing up Teknor Apex is easy, it's all about the people."
Thermoplastic Elastomers
Teknor Apex entered the TPE business in 1979. Today, we offer the broadest portfolio of TPE technologies for a broad range of industries including automotive, medical, packaging, industrial, consumer and more.
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Esters
Developing high-quality esters for body care, cosmetics and custom manufacturing has been a core of our business for over 60 years.
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Vinyl
Vinyl production has been a vital part of Teknor Apex's history since 1949. Today, we offer a wide selection of vinyl solutions to meet your business’s needs.
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Enabling Sustainable Solutions
We’re proud to produce solutions that support vital industries to keep the world moving. We are committed to the journey of sustainability because it's the right thing to do. We do our part every day to adhere to high corporate social responsibility standards while providing innovative solutions to our customer's needs.
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“Our shared success comes from our People, Partners, & Products.
How we work together connected by our joint values is our competitive advantage, and it starts with all of us.”
History
An Enduring History of Ingenuity and Leadership
Click on the circles below to learn more about the key moments and milestones that have shaped Teknor Apex over the last century.
Apex Tires was founded by Alfred A. Fain and his son-in-law, Albert Pilavin.
1924
Norman Fain, son of Alfred, joins company; becomes CEO in 1968
1936
World War II:
Apex rebuilds naval aircraft tires; demand for plastics grows due to short rubber supply
1943
PVC rigid vinyl is introduced to the market; Apex Tire develops first line of vinyl garden hoses
1950
Rebirth of Apex brand to
Teknor Apex Company
1966
Jonathan Fain, son of Norman, joins company; Jon became CEO in 2001.
1972
SPC Polymer in Singapore is acquired, sparking international expansion
2001
First production of nylon is marketed through acquisition of Chem Polymer USA and UK
2004
BioVinyl®, the first commercial, sustainable flexible vinyl compound, is launched
2012
Donald Wiseman is appointed CEO of Teknor Apex
2023
Teknor Apex commemorates 100 years of shared success thanks to dedicated people, collaborative partners and future-forward products
2024
Engineering Thermoplastics
Our portfolio of Engineering Thermoplastics meets critical performance requirements for the most demanding applications of today and tomorrow.
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Scroll over highlighted locations for more info
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In 1998, QST in St. Albans, VT was acquired by TA.
Acquisition Facts:
QST specialized in molding compounds and held a significant presence in the consumer market with recognizable brands.
In addition to leading technology, QST offered a best-in-class facility, boasting exceptional cleanliness and efficiency.
QST’s world-class approach to customer care combined with TA’s solid reputation facilitated the strong creation of TA’s TPE business.
The successful operations at TA’s Vermont plant has been replicated across TA including our sites in Kentucky, Singapore, and Europe. That little plant of 30 dedicated people has had a continued influence on how we operate.
Saint Albans, Vermont
In 1996, Teknor Color announced the acquisition of Progressive Polymers in Jacksonville, TX. With a small operation in the area, TA merged our existing business with Progressive.
Acquisition Facts:
This merger was particularly exciting for TA because Progressive had a few distinctive partnerships with major Polymer Companies that provided us with opportunities in specialty compounds.
The Progressive site was well-designed and laid out. The plant was incredibly clean and efficient, a high standard to uphold for a masterbatch facility. The site quickly became a center of excellence for Teknor Color and a hub for creating innovative products.
Jacksonville, Texas
TA built the site in Brownsville, Tennessee from the ground up and started production in 1971.
Plant Facts:
Originally named Haywood Company, it started with four vinyl compounding lines and two hose lines.
Expansions included the addition of Hose Reclaim, new compounding lines for PVC and TPE, the Chemicals manufacturing plant, and additional Hose lines, which now include the ZeroG style hoses.
Rubber compounding was added in 1985 and has since been converted to ETP, when Chem Polymer was acquired.
Rail service and storage has grown to six spurs; nominal storage capacity of 140 rail cars. Two new “off-site” storage facilities were added to bring the current 1,000,000 square feet on approximately 250 acres.
Brownsville, Tennessee
In 1989 Norman Fain announced TA would again be expanding, this time by building a plant in South Carolina. Gaines Hutcheson would lead the design and build initially, and later move on to become the plants’ manager.
Acquisition Facts:
With the willingness of ~12 existing team members to relocate to SC, TA established the SC site complete with the local leadership team. Originally called Teknor Apex Carolina Company (now TASC), the plant was built in Foutain Inn, SC.
The original facility was to house hose, vinyl compounding, and color masterbatch. This was a major undertaking and employed the entire attention of our Engineering Group (then led by Bill Murray) and components of each function.
The plant was constructed in phases with Hose, Plastics, and Color starting up in succession as the construction proceeded. The plant filled capacity within two years, leading to further investments in all areas of production over the years.
Foutain Inn, South Carolina
In September 1924 Apex was founded by Alfred A. Fain and his son-in-law, Albert Pilavin. Apex Tire opened shop in Providence, RI. The business grew quickly as tires back then were designed to have their treads replaced with wear. In 1938 a major hurricane struck the Northeast. The Providence location was flooded by the storm surge precipitating the need for a new site. The company took this opportunity and built a new production facility in Pawtucket which remains today's headquarters.
Apex Tire was soon faced with a new challenge. The WWII years made sourcing of rubber difficult and any that was available went to the war effort. However, the existing equipment could process a new material - PVC. Due to its versatility, this thermoplastic could be used in many applications including wire and cable sheathing. The company expanded the business to also include molding and mixing rubber; officially becoming 'Apex Tire and Rubber' in 1945.
It was during this time Norman Fain and his two key managers, Victor Baxt and Herb Malin, began growing the company beyond rubber and vinyl by adding products like plasticizers, antifreeze, cutting blocks, anti-fatigue mats, shoe soling, and elastomers.
The facility was expanded three more times, resulting in what exists today, including the addition of the front office area as well as what is now called the Partnership building.
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
As TA’s PVC division was bursting at the seams, TA acquired Viking Polymers in 2014, effectively expanding its rigid PVC compounding business. and allowing for further growth in the building and construction segment.
Acquisition Facts:
Viking Polymers was a compounder specializing in rigid vinyl products designed specifically for the building and construction markets. By adding Viking capabilities, TA gained a unique set of equipment designed to run rigid dry-blends and compounds, formula insights into new chemistries, and a customer-centric group of professionals that further strengthened TA’s culture and innovation.
The integration of Viking and TA was very successful primarily due to the amazing team involved in bringing the two companies together.
Viking, now TA North Carolina continues to serve as our specialty plant in the PVC manufacturing space, with a “can do will do” attitude that exudes the best of TA.
Jamestown, North Carolina
In 2010, DSM made a strategic change in the direction of their company, moving from materials to Life Science. TA leveraged this opportunity and acquired the revered Sarlink® brand in October 2010.
Acquisition Facts:
TA added a plant in Leominster, MA, expanded operations in Genk Belgium; and established offices in Geleen, Netherlands, and Shanghai, China. These additions more than doubled TA’s TPE division overnight.
The acquisition added many new team members with skills and experience that TA did not previously have. The Sarlink® systems and methods became the standard for TA’s TPE division, adding a level of excellence required to function on a global stage.
TA has since effectively doubled the size of our TPV business, by adding capacity in the US and Asia, allowing us to produce these products in the geographic locations we serve.
Leominster, Massachusetts
Teknor Apex acquired Plasticolors Unlimited in October 1987.
Acquisition Facts:
At the time, Plasticolors had just completed building a new plant on three acres in a new industrial park in Henderson, KY. This new site allowed TA to expand our TPE business as a stand-alone operation in 2000.
TA produced its first pellets on the Henderson, KY site in late 2001 and began production operating two lines, and later adding a third in 2017.
The Henderson, KY site is centrally located, allowing for one-day transit to much of the Midwest and Southern regions of the United States. This area of the country is widely known as ‘Plastics Valley’ due to its long history in the plastics industry with many major plastics companies still operating in the region.
Henderson, Kentucky
TA acquired Lanier Color Company in December 2021.
Acquisition Facts:
The addition of Lanier expanded TA’s portfolio to include PVC color concentrates while adding to its specialty compound offerings specific to the building and construction market.
As a result, Lanier Color Company’s customer base gained access to the broader portfolio of TA’s PVC compounds and state-of-the-art product and application development capabilities.
The company continues to operate in its current location of Gainesville, GA; and will work in coordination with Teknor Color’s current manufacturing in Texas.
Gainesville, Georgia
This site was added when TA acquired the Maclin Company in 1977. Acquisition Facts:
The plant, located at 420 South 6th Ave, has been in existence since 1969 and is part of a neighborhood referred to as Avocado Heights. When first built there were hardly any businesses present, rather the land was mostly populated with avocado and orange tree groves.
When acquired, this manufacturing site was unique for TA in that it also had a calendaring line producing rolls of vinyl film for medical applications. Another building was added down the road in the early 1980s at 505 South 6th Avenue serving as a distribution warehouse for garden hoses.
Industry, California
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While expansion has been a huge part of our story, what we are proudest of is our enduring status as a privately owned company, one that’s been guided by the same ethical compass for almost 100 years. While we’ve evolved to deliver custom compounds on a global scale, how our products are sold and how we treat our customers, partners, and employees still matters most to us, and influences every decision we make.
“I feel at home with Teknor.”
Relationships are built on trust, and we value every relationship built over the past century. Whether it’s with our customers, suppliers or community partners - together, we've collaborated and developed critical solutions to solve problems and build stronger communities where we live and work.
Garden Hose
Through innovation, our garden hose products have changed the marketplace since 1950.
Our goal is to provide the best balance of product features so consumers have an easier experience because, to us, it’s more than just a garden hose.
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Teknor Apex took another big step in serving the Asian market by building a brand new 21,429m2 plant in Suzhou in 2007. The new manufacturing site started with four lines and 75 employees. Bearing the Teknor Apex name as Teknor Apex Suzhou Advanced Polymer Compounds Co. Ltd.
In 2011 the Singapore plant took suit and was renamed Teknor Apex Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., in efforts of combining all operations under one TA brand for the Asian market.
Customers now have the assurance of dealing with a single organization having uniform standards, product designations, business practices, and regulatory approvals.
In 2021 TA was awarded certifications for the Suzhou, China plant which include the IATF 16949:2016, ISO 14001:2015, and the ISO 45001:2018. The implementation of these voluntary certifications was in direct alignment with our core values of sustainability, safety, and accountability.
Suzhou, China
In 2001 Teknor Apex made its first international acquisition with SPC Polymer, giving TA an Asian presence, and serving customers throughout Asia from the plant in Singapore and later by adding a new plant in Suzhou, China.
Acquisition Facts:
Teknor Apex Asia Pacific (TAAP) was established in 2011 as the leading plastics compounder serving a vast region that stretches from Saudi Arabia to New Zealand.
In addition to the wide range of products developed by SPC since its founding in 1969, TAAP offers thousands of compounds that were developed in the US by TA and are compliant with Western codes and standards.
In 2004, SPC completed the relocation of its entire compounding operation to a new Singapore complex including a series of production lines with annual capacity exceeding 50,000 tons and extensive technical service, laboratory, and product development facilities.
Singapore
TA acquired Plastic-Technologie-Service (PTS), a German-based custom compounder of TPEs and ETPs, in 2016. The acquisition of PTS was a natural fit in the strategic vision of TA to support the market with a global footprint and local presence.
Acquisition Facts:
TA decided to acquire PTS based on their well-known innovation and leadership in Europe as the leader in developing ‘hard/soft’ solutions that combine elastomers with rigid polymers. This partnership brought together a range of unique technologies and service capabilities.
Post-acquisition, TA established a state-of-the-art 50,000 m2 facility in Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 2021, which increased the manufacturing capacity of custom compounds and established a new European Center of Excellence for plastics research and development.
The site offers an extensive laboratory, used for developing new compounds and providing customers with design support, application development, as well as product and process training.
The site employs more than 100 positions in manufacturing, business support, and commercial operations.
Rothenburg o.d.Tbr., Germany
In 2010 TA acquired the Sarlink®, a worldwide thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomer business, from Royal DSM N.V.
Acquisition Facts:
At that time, Sarlink® operated compounding facilities in Leominster, MA, and Genk, Belgium which housed extensive engineering and laboratory resources for application development.
TA retained all of Sarlink® employees (~90), including those in Geleen, Netherlands. With the acquisition, the representation of Sarlink® in Europe was renamed Teknor Apex B.V.
In 2022, Teknor Apex B.V. decided to relocate its offices to the Brightlands Chemelot Campus Umonderbaan 22, in Geleen, Netherlands.
Today, the team there supports TA’s European Customer Service, Procurement, Quality, Technology, Operations and Commercial functions. European leadership roles are also assumed by colleagues from both from the Netherlands and Germany locations to ensure that the respective teams are growing together as one European team.
Geleen, Netherlands
EUROPE
“We renew what we do, we don’t renew who we are.”
Jonathan Fain Chairman of the Board/Family Member
After watching the video, click on the arrows to see detailed information about each of our technologies and products, from Engineering Thermoplastics to our B2C product, Garden Hose.
Polyolefins
Since the 2010s, we have produced a unique line of low-smoke, flame-retardant polyolefins for electrical and electronic applications. These halogen-free compounds conform to strict regulatory and environmental requirements.
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We manufacture custom compounds at our 14 locations and have a diversified portfolio in the material science space.
Custom Compounder
Located at 505 Central Ave in Pawtucket, RI
Teknor Apex HQ Today
Providence, Rhode Island
Apex Tire Store on Westminster St.
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ASIA
Community
Partners
“Teknor Apex has been a vital part of the United Way and our work in so many ways. The employees of Teknor Apex have been unbelievable”
– Courtney N.
President United Way RI
How We View Partnership
“What's good about Teknor Apex is its culture, which is a culture of long-term relationships.”
– Jonathan Fain Chairman of the Board/Family Member
Become a partner and collaborate with us!
Our standard and sustainable solutions can help make your innovations a reality.
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Careers
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Corporate Controller
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