A HISTORY OF INNOVATION
Most consumers may not be familiar with the name Nevamar® Decorative Surfaces, but chances are they encounter one or more of the company’s products every day. For more than 50 years, Nevamar has been making decorative laminates and other surfacing materials for a wide variety of applications.
An average individual may not readily recognize our products, but we all come in contact with Nevamar surfacing materials almost daily – from airports to offices, bowling alleys to sports stadiums, retail stores to fast food restaurants, from home to school. With products that combine extreme durability and cost-effectiveness with the latest in sophisticated style, Nevamar is firmly positioned as one of the top manufacturers of high pressure laminates in North America.
1943 - The Beginning
When the Winer family of Baltimore moved their family-owned cabinet business to an abandoned rail car shop in Odenton, Maryland in 1943, they helped revitalize a community that had suffered greatly with the decline of the railroad. And they launched a creative company that would one day become known as the innovation leader in the surfacing industry.
First known as the National Plastics Company, the company was one of the first to move into the manufacture of high pressure laminates, a product that was virtually just off the drawing board. In the 1940’s, the company received the coveted Army/Navy E Award for “Converting its operations to the manufacture of war material and excellence in production and development.” Key developments included products to help protect troops against malaria infection, as well as items for the Navy Rocket Programs and the Army Signal Corps.
After the war, the company manufactured other products as diverse as textiles, paint brush bristles, hoola hoops and even Barbie® doll hair. After several name changes and a move to focus on high pressure laminate, the company finally became known as Nevamar.
Eventually Nevamar began to pioneer a variety of improvements in design and performance. Among our innovations were the first dimensional laminates, Matrix, the first original design created specifically for laminates, and the patented Armored Protection™ Surface technology that keeps laminates looking new longer.
Learn more about Armored Protection™ Surface - a Nevamar exclusive valued for its durability and the clarity it lends to designs.
Click here for a timeline of surfacing innovations introduced by Nevamar.
Joining Forces with the Pioneer of Laminate Technology In 1995, Nevamar, merged with the Micarta Division of Westinghouse Electric Company in Hampton, SC. This union brought together two giants of the laminate industry, both with a legacy of innovation.
Click here to read more about the history of Micarta.Positioned for the 21st Century Today, high pressure laminate manufacturing is consolidated in Hampton, SC supported by a network of customer service centers nationwide. Building on the rich legacy of innovation and technology, we continue to deliver distinctive designs, specialty laminates, and customized solutions for the architectural/design, woodworking, and transit community under the Nevamar® brand name to customers worldwide.
In addition to a stock line of high pressure laminate designs, Nevamar offers products for more specialized needs such as chemical resistance, static dissipation, raised access flooring, engraving stock for signage applications and a special grade laminate specifically for rail cars and buses. With an in-house printing operation and a recognized strength in wood grain matches, along with custom print laminate program, Nevamar solves the needs of many market segments.
Where there were twelve domestic high pressure laminate manufacturers thirty years ago, only four remain today. With a widely respected brand for high style, durability, and customized solutions, Nevamar is well positioned for the 21st century.
