Our History

Ralph Wilson, Sr., a retired laminate industry executive, founded Wilsonart in 1956 in Temple, Texas as a producer of High Pressure Decorative Laminate (HPL). Surprisingly, Wilson’s intent was never to build a major competitor, but rather to fill his free time.

Today, we still honor his thoughtful approach to business: hire a dedicated local work force, produce high-quality products, and insist upon an old-fashioned commitment to top-notch customer service.

View the Wilsonart Timeline

Distribution

Wilsonart, first known as the Ralph Wilson Plastics Company, was founded on the promise to deliver “laminate anywhere in the United States in 10 days or less.” Today the company still maintains its own fleet of delivery trucks throughout North America.

A warehouse system, now comprising 20 facilities across the country, responds to diverse market conditions and maintains a vast inventory of laminate within reach of our customers.

The 1970s saw a real push to establish what has now become the world’s finest network of independent wholesale building materials distributors. Today, these distributors number more than 100 across North America and serve as the personification of Wilsonart, embodying the ideals and service-oriented philosophy on which the company was founded.

Manufacturing

Wilsonart’s first manufacturing facility was built in Temple, Texas in 1956, directly across the street from our first customer, a major school furniture manufacturer. According to history, our original laminate orders were shuttled across the street on dollies to fill orders.

By the end of the 1970s, Wilsonart® Laminate had become one of the nation’s leading brands of decorative laminate. The Fletcher, North Carolina plant was added in 1979 to meet the increasing demand for product. Less than eight years later, “Temple-North”—the world’s most efficient, state-of-the-art laminate production facility— laid its roots in Texas. This facility has since doubled in size and is today among of the largest of its kind in the world.

In addition to the wide range of laminate surface offerings, Wilsonart also produces and distributes its own brand of Wilsonart® Adhesives. The manufacturing facility in Temple, Texas produces a wide range of adhesive products for ever-changing market needs.

Products

Wilsonart has always made great laminate. Our standard collection of readily available solid colors and patterns, originally known as Design Group I™, was developed in the 1980s and has become an industry standard for laminate design direction.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Wilsonart’s product diversification sped up to meet new market opportunities, with the following additions:

• Wilsonart® Decorative Metals, pure metal surfaces with sturdy laminate backing
• Wilsonart® Decorative Edges, a variety of laminate-clad moldings that add a finished look to countertops
• Wilsonart® RE-COVER™ Laminate, an innovative new option for laminate combining a pre-applied adhesive to HPL or LPL to quickly update a dated vertical design
• Wilsonart® Solid Surfacing, stone-like surfacing and sinks that are both renewable and seamless
• Wilsonart® SOLICOR™ Laminate, colorthrough laminate with no brown core
• Wilsonart x You, custom laminate, digitally printed, one-of-a-kind laminate surfaces
• Wilsonart® Virtual Design Library, designer-inspired online curated collection fo exclusive designs
• Wilsonart® Performance Laminates: Wilsonart® Chemsurf® Chemical-Resistant Laminate, Fire-Rated and High-Wear Laminate, as well as Markerboard and Chalkboard Laminate

Corporate Standing

In November, 2012, the Wilsonart businesses, along with our global sister companies, became an independent company once again. Wilsonart is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of High Pressure Laminates, Quartz, Solid Surface and other engineered surfaces used in furniture, office and retail space, countertops, worktops, and other applications. The company operates today under the Wilsonart®, Resopal®, Polyrey®, Arborite®, Durcon® and Ralph Wilson® brands and has achieved success through a combination of outstanding service, high-quality products, and a focus on continuously redefining the laminate surface through improved performance and aesthetics.