Prior to 1970, converters of packaging materials used solvent based adhesives for making the complex constructions which hold various food and non-food products such as meats, cheeses, snack foods, drugs and cosmetics, pet foods, dry milk, soup mix and on and on. In that year technology came along which allowed the development of water borne, as opposed to solvent borne adhesives. Recognizing the
merits of the new technologies in terms of the environment, worker safety, and product protection, Daniel Siegel started Mica Corporation with the objective of providing the packaging industry new water based products which would perform as well as the solvent based materials they would replace. The new company was incorporated in the State of Connecticut in February 1971 and began operating in the facilities of Industrial Aromatics, then on East 72nd Street in New York City. Within several months the company moved to Stamford, Connecticut where it leased space on the second floor of a factory building on Elm Court. After about eight months, when shipments began to increase in size and number, it was imperative that the operation be moved to ground level. A freestanding building was leased on Ludlow Street in Stamford where the company stayed for a number of years. A reactor and mixing equipment were added as well as a shipping platform and the company continued to grow. By the early 1980s the building was bursting at the seams, and the company looked for larger space. Finally, property was purchased and the company erected a custom building in Stratford. This new building had many times the manufacturing capacity as the Ludlow Street facility and added state of the art laboratory and office space. Interest in Mica Corporation’s water-based coatings and extrusion primers continued to expand as Mica’s scientists built a reputation as leaders in converting knowledge. Business in Europe and Asia developed during this time and warehousing locations were established in Germany and the Philippines. By the mid 1990’s Mica Corporation had once again outgrown its physical plant. We embarked on a search for a new home that would allow for future expansion. Our new facility was designed and built and we moved in during the spring of 1999. Today, we have sales offices in 13 countries and stores of product in 11 locations around the world. While we continue to service very specialized niche markets, we are the recognized world leader in these areas of concentration.
