Vimasco Corporation History
Nitro, W.Va. – Vimasco Corporation is a small manufacturing company located in Nitro, W.Va. approximately 15 miles west of Charleston, W.Va. The company was started in 1950 by three prominent business men from Charleston: William A. Pugh, Sr., owner of Pugh Furniture Store, John Smallridge who owned Sport Mart and Purity Maid Bakery and Mike Paterno a CPA.
The owners saw the need for a coating to protect insulation from water, adverse chemical environments, mechanical abuse and other elements. This resulted in Vimasco introducing the first latex weather barrier coating for insulation – WC-1, which is still being manufactured today.
Later three additional weather barrier coatings, WC-5, WC-7, and ThickKote, were added for the same application as the original WC-1, but the characteristics and properties are a little different which was a result of supplying our customers with the type of coating/application that met their needs.
Early in the business Vimasco saw the opportunity to supply a solvent base Fire Retardant Paint to the Department of the Navy. This business was very lucrative for the company and required three shifts to keep up with the orders. Later, as the requirement became more competitive, the decision was made to get out of the paint business and to dissolve the solvent base product line due to health hazards for employees and EPA disposal requirements.
In the 1960’s Vimasco came out with a Cable Coating for fire protection of electrical power and control cables, communications cables and other insulated cables when they are grouped in cable trays, junction boxes, etc. This product was tested extensively and meets several specifications and has been used worldwide. Vimasco intumescent Cable Coating looks like a thick coat of paint until it is exposed to fire. Then it intumesces and expands to form a cellular char which acts as a thermal barrier to protect the cables.
Also, in the sixties, business with the Department of the Navy continued and the company started supplying a lagging adhesive, Vimasco 713; later they added an additional lagging adhesive to meet an Electric Boat specification, Vimasco 714. These adhesives are to adhere and finish canvas, fiber glass and other lagging cloths over insulation, or as a protective, decorative finish over unlagged insulation indoors. They have been tested and approved for several applications including the Department of the Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Electric Boat. In the early seventies four nuclear grade products were added to the product line for the Dept. of the Navy and nuclear power plants. These products were a spinoff of four products already manufactured: 713, 714, WC-1 and 760. The nuclear grade products are classified as 713 NG, 714 NG, WC-1 NG, and 760 NG. The products were manufactured and tested under extraordinarily stringent quality-control procedures. All have completed qualification testing at an independent laboratory, and each batch is thoroughly tested by an independent lab to ensure compliance to applicable standards/specifications. The “regular” counterparts are not intended to, and do not, meet the requirements as the nuclear grade products.
In the mid 1990’s the company branched out again and added two more products for the government and commercial customers, 749 and 739 Vapor Barrier Coatings for use where an insulated cold surface requires the protection of a highly effective vapor barrier. These products have been tested and approved for this application also. In early 2000, Vimasco 727 was introduced to the insulation industry as a laminating adhesive for shop or factory operations to adhere cloth or foil facing to insulation. This adhesive can be formulated for each customer’s requirements if necessary and has excellent peel strength and water resistance.
The above mentioned products are just a few of the most popular ones supplied by Vimasco. Several other products are offered also, i.e. high-temperature adhesives, duct adhesives, and a log home chinking.
I hope this offers a brief history of the business and some of its products. Vimasco continues to operate and manufacture In Nitro, W.Va. The company has never proclaimed to offer the lowest price but they do claim to offer quality products and exceptional customer service. Along the way, the company has grown in knowledge and expertise with the help and hard work of loyal employees whom have years of service. Vimasco continues to work hard to earn our customers business and to supply them with superior products and service. We are always looking for innovative ways to improve existing products and create new ones to keep up with the ever changing insulation industry.