Company Profile > Selling Products - Or Solving Problems?

Selling Products - Or Solving Problems?

Some companies develop products in the abstract — and then bend problems to fit the products. We at Whitford take the opposite point of view.

To date, the genius of man has not been able to devise anything as good as fluoropolymer coatings to solve the combined problems of friction, corrosion, wear and release. One reason is that such coatings can be adjusted endlessly to match the precise demands of different problems.

Which brings us to a statement of our philosophy.

Developed by Whitford for waffle irons, the first low-cure one-coat with the release of most two-coats brings a smile to the face of an old friend.

We believe that the way to a better product is to start with a specific problem, then create a product specifically designed to solve it. So long as we remember that our business is solving problems, the selling of our products will take care of itself.

Today, our products are solving problems in three principal markets: consumer, industrial and corrosion resistance.


1. Consumer applications: These include our Xylan, Xylac, Quantum, QuanTanium, Excalibur and Eclipse series for cookware, bakeware and small appliances such as toaster ovens, griddles, frying pans, irons, bread makers, etc. These coatings are easily applied using a variety of cost-effective techniques and offer different cure temperatures to meet most manufacturing requirements.

Threaded fasteners were one of Whitford's first markets (and today remain one of our strongest markets).

2. Industrial applications: These are primarily applications for Xylan (organic), Xylar (inorganic) and Dykor (powder) coatings. These include fasteners, valve seats, pipe fittings, automotive and aircraft components.

We create these coatings to solve a myriad of problems. The results range from easier, more efficient make-up and breakout of clamp assemblies to resistance to the damaging effects of environmental factors such as sunlight, salt water, acid rain, etc. These coatings also come in a wide variety of colors to facilitate product differentiation and improve aesthetic appeal.

3. Corrosion resistance applications: Chemically inert coatings of Dykor, in both dispersion and powder form, are used to protect tanks, vessels, pumps, valves, etc., from corrosive chemicals. Some of these coatings may be applied in thicknesses approaching 1mm (40 mils) without difficulty. They provide effective barriers to chemical attack.

Polymers in the Dykor family of powder coatings include PFA, FEP, PVDF and PPS, which offer service temperatures from cryogenic to 260°C (500°F). These powders protect metals from aggressive environments such as strong acids and bases, while providing high release, abrasion resistance and dielectric properties.

The same Whitford wherever you go

We serve these markets — with the same quality of technical services, the same products and product development — wherever the need may arise.We have four regional headquarters covering the world:

• Whitford Corporation: The US company serves customers in North America and northern South America including Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Our production facility for these territories is in Frazer, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
  
  
• Whitford Plastics Ltd.: The UK company covers Europe, the Middle East, the CIS and Africa. We maintain Whitford offices in France, Germany, Spain and Italy. Production facilities are in Runcorn, England; Barcelona, Spain and Brescia, Italy.
  
  
• Whitford Comercio e Industria Ltda.: The Brazilian company covers the southern countries of South America, with a production facility near São Paulo.
  
  
• Whitford Ltd.: Located in Hong Kong, this company oversees the Asia-Pacific region, which includes a production facility in Singapore and a Whitford sales office in Australia
  

Whitford Worldwide has manufacturing facilities in seven countries, Whitford offices staffed by Whitford employees in eleven, and agents in an additional twenty-five. We sell in more than fifty countries.