Type Private | ||
Key people Brian Suhl, President; Rick Hartsock, Owner and Chairman Products Industrial coatings and lubrications Website www.sandstromproducts.com/ Headquarters Port Byron, Illinois, United States Profiles | ||
Sandstrom Products Company is a privately held coatings and lubricants manufacturer founded in 1946 in Port Byron, Illinois. The company was established as a paint manufacturer, but over time it expanded its products to provide more than 400 different items. Sandstrom’s products include coatings, which are coverings applied to the surface of objects. Sandstrom coatings are used for aerospace, automotive, weapons, and industrial applications. The company also manufactures dry film lubricants used to maintain and repair locks.
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History
Robert V. Sandstrom founded the company in 1946 in Port Byron, Illinois. He established the company after graduating from Augustana College, in Rock Island, Illinois, in the 1930s. Sandstrom also worked as a chemist for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and as a consultant for the U.S. Army during World War II. The original, small building that housed the first Sandstrom plant is still part of the company’s facilities today.
Paints used to repair and strengthen drywall and plaster were among the early products that the company introduced, as were chemical resistant coatings and protective paints and finishes for concrete floors. Sandstrom developed a number of products for military and aerospace contractors, including solid film lubricants used in the Gemini spacecraft in the 1960s that were also utilized in NASA’s various space shuttles. Robert V. Sandstrom received the Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award for his contributions to the development and manufacture of lubricants used by the military.
Current business and products
Sandstrom is still located in Port Byron, Illinois, near the original building, at 224 S. Main Street. Sandstrom’s son, James, eventually took over the business before selling it in 1992. Rick Hartsock purchased the company in 1992. Rick Hartsock served as president of Sandstrom from 1990 until 2008. Brian Suhl became the president in 2008.
The company currently employs about 25 workers