HIGH POINT, N.C. - In 1919, a small wood varnish company opened its doors in the riverfront city of Louisville, Kentucky. 

 

Today, the Reliance business lives on as part of AkzoNobel’s North American wood coatings division, whose portfolio of brands helps the world’s leading manufacturers of cabinetry, furniture, flooring and building products protect and bring color to their products. 

 

 

At the recent AWFS Fair in Las Vegas, AkzoNobel showcased its products alongside the latest innovations, including MaestroHue, the complete wood coatings color system developed by Chemcraft – AkzoNobel’s specialist wood coatings brand – that gives distributors and OEM manufacturers the power to match virtually any color with unrivaled pinpoint accuracy and minimal waste.

 

“The industry and products have changed a great deal since 1919, but our company’s passion for innovation has not. We are experts in the industry and understand wood finishing from design to industrialization,” said Anthony Woods, AkzoNobel’s segment marketing director for wood coatings. “We’re excited to mark the century milestone with our customers, partners and friends – and look forward to the next 100 years of delivering peace of mind with our best-in-class technical service.”

 

AkzoNobel’s North American wood coatings history began with the incorporation of Reliance Universal as Reliance Varnish Company on June 28, 1919, in Louisville, followed less than 10 years later by the incorporation of Southern Varnish Corporation in Roanoke, Virginia, on Sept. 1, 1928.