Americhem remains strong after 75 years in business

Compounding firm Americhem Inc. is healthy and alive at age 75.

The Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based firm marked its 75th anniversary on Nov. 29. It was founded in 1941 as the Caldwell Co. in a small office in Akron, Ohio, by Sylvester Caldwell.

At that time, its business consisted of selling pigments and additives to the rubber industry, much of which was based in Akron and northeast Ohio. Today, Americhem is based in nearby Cuyahoga Falls and operates 10 plants worldwide. Its annual sales are close to $300 million.

“We're moving from the second to the third generation of the Juve family,” President John Deignan said in a recent interview in Cuyahoga Falls. “That shows we've got staying power and are in a strong financial position. The family has consistently reinvested in the business.”

The Caldwell Co. grew quickly after its launch. By 1950, it was occupying its own building in Akron. In 1953, the firm hired Richard H. (Dick) Juve, who had experience with Goodyear Tire & Rubber — which accounted for about 80 percent of Caldwell's business.

Caldwell opened its first plant in Akron in 1959 and changed its name to Americhem that same year. Americhem made its first international sales in 1963 and moved its headquarters to Cuyahoga Falls in 1965.

A key product move was made in 1969, when Americhem made its first masterbatch concentrates for vinyl siding. Juve and Vice President Harvey Cooper — another key figure in the firm's growth — each had acquired a one-third stake in Americhem in 1958. In 1979, Juve became majority owner. That same year, Americhem opened a plant in Mansfield, Texas.

Juve's son Richard C. (Rick) Juve joined the firm in 1982. Rick Juve had worked in sales for Colgate-Palmolive for two years, but joined Americhem in a production role in order to learn more about the company.

Another new plant was opened in Concord, N.C., in 1989. Americhem in 1991 made its first masterbatch concentrates for PVC decking applications.

Rick Juve became president and CEO of Americhem after his father retired in 1993. Dick Juve passed away in 1995.

“Throughout [Dick Juve's] leadership, his open nature was enjoyed by employees and customers alike,” officials said in The Colorful History of Americhem, a company history that was published in 2012. “He always emphasized the importance of keeping your word and your promises.”

Mark Juve, Rick's son, represents the third generation of the Juve family at Americhem. He currently serves as director of the firm's building and construction business.

Americhem opened its first international plant in 1994 in Manchester, England. The firm added a second plant in Cuyahoga Falls in 1998. A new plant was opened in Dalton, Ga., in 2002.

In 2004, Americhem entered the Asian market by opening an office in Suzhou, China.

It opened an office in Mexico that same year. A production plant was opened in Suzhou in 2006. That plant in 2014 was expanded, doubling its size and capacity.

Other new product developments followed, including the introduction of PET solution dye products for automotive fabrics in 2001 and a line of clarified polypropylene pharmaceutical products in 2004. In 2006, Americhem introduced outdoor color lines for PET fabric and low heat build-up technology for dark colors.

Americhem's headquarters and central R&D lab were expanded and renovated in 2008. The following year, the firm received the Dean's Excellence Award from the University of Akron's College of Polymer Science & Polymer Engineering.

Beauty and consumer color trends programs were launched in 2010, and in 2011, Americhem opened a manufacturing site in Liberty, N.C.

And Americhem is far from resting on its laurels, making three acquisitions since 2012. That year, the firm bought polymer composites maker Infinity Compounding of Swedesboro, N.J. It followed in 2014 by acquiring LTL Color Compounders of Morrisville, Pa., merging that business with Infinity to create Infinity LTL Engineered Compounds.

Then in March of this year, Americhem acquired Vi-Chem Corp., a maker of PVC and thermoplastic elastomer compounds in Grand Rapids, Mich. The firm now employs 800 worldwide and ranks as one of North America's 30 largest compounders and concentrate makers.

Americhem also has proven successful in retaining its employees. Fifty current employees have been with the firm for 30 years or more, and another 13 employees have been with Americhem for 40 years or more.

One of those 30-plus-year employees is Rod Manfull, who joined Americhem in 1985 as a sample prep technician. In that role, he tested plastic resins before they were used in the firm's materials. Manfull now serves as Americhem's global supply chain director.

“I think employees stay at Americhem because the company gives you a lot of opportunities and autonomy — not red tape and bureaucracy,” he said recently in Cuyahoga Falls. “They care about employees and give you opportunities to advance from within.”