Since its founding in 1948, American Trim (known then as Lima Tool and Die) has achieved success by adding value to the parts it supplies to the appliance industry. The company’s first customer, a kitchen range manufacturer, fell in love with the stylish, chrome-plated handle that company owner Henry Hawk designed. With the help of the Tennessee Stove Works, Hawk expanded his company’s reach into the appliance industry by developing the capability to manufacture and then plate appliance parts using an efficient, continuous, process.

Recently, Powder Coated Tough magazine talked with Steve Hatkevich, director of research and development, and Dave Rankin, plant manager for American Trim’s facilities in Erie, Pa., and Cullman, Ala., respectively, about the demands for powder coating in today’s appliance industry. In keeping with its legacy of adding value, American Trim continues to provide added value, through powder coating as well as by offering services from design and fabrication to assembly and metal decoration.

Read more: The Demand for Powder in the Appliance Industry: A Q&A