Clopay History

For over seven decades, the name Clopay has been synonymous with possibility thinking.

Clopay's story began in 1930, a time of record unemployment and business failures. Most companies did not think in terms of vision, possibilities, or innovation—merely of survival. Fortunately, Clopay was not like most companies. Instead, Clopay's commitment to innovation was already evident.

In the early 1930's, Clopay (an acronym for cloth-paper) was already re-imagining the marketplace of everyday consumer products, becoming the first company to introduce the world to low-cost paper window shades. A modest beginning? Perhaps. But the course was set for over seventy years of innovation.

During World War II, American industry was transformed by wartime production demands. Clopay responded by creating waterproof laminated paper and board, used in overseas packaging. Clopay also manufactured airplane drop tanks, shell liners, and for the home front, blackout window shades.

In 1950, Clopay embraced the plastics revolution, which was still in its infancy. The company entered the plastic extrusion field on an experimental basis and, within a year, had committed to the field full-time. By 1955 Clopay had acquired a plastic film facility in Augusta, KY.

In the early '60's the postwar construction boom was in full swing, and Clopay's commitment to the consumer market was never stronger. Clopay expanded into the garage door business with the purchases of Baker-Aldor-Jones (manufacturers of steel, fiberglass, and aluminum doors) and Francis Products, Inc. (manufacturers and distributors of overhead doors and related equipment). By the 1990's the Clopay Building Products Company had acquired Atlas Roll-Lite Door Corporation and became the largest manufacturer of residential garage doors in the United States.

In the 1970's, Clopay continued to expand in both Europe and the United States. In 1972 Clopay formed Associate Clopay Europe in its first European venture. At home in the United States, Clopay opened a plant in Fresno, California, and developed its first technical center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The 1980's brought more of the same for Clopay in terms of its dedication to expansion. In 1985, Clopay's plant in Nashville, Tennessee, opened. A year later, Clopay was acquired by Griffon.

In the 1990's, when other companies were just beginning to discover "emerging markets," Clopay was already on the move. Clopay Plastic Products Division formed FINOTECH (a joint venture with Corovin GmbH, a German manufacturer of nonwovens) to develop and market polymer-based films and nonwovens for the European, South African, and Middle East markets. In 1998, they continued to expand their capabilities by acquiring Böhme Verpackungsfolien GmbH, a manufacturer of specialty plastic packaging and films for the European hygienic market.

In 2001, Clopay do Brasil was added to Clopay's global family. This location is the leading Brazilian manufacturer of plastic hygienic and specialty films. In 2003, Clopay formed Advanced Printing Nashville (APN) and Advanced Printing Aschersleben (APA), establishing itself as a global printer. In 2004, Clopay became the world's largest producer of microporous breathable films. In 2005, Clopay Plastic Products acquired the remaining minority shares of FINOTECH and Clopay do Brasil.

Many things have changed since our humble beginning in 1930, yet one thing remains consistent—Clopay is a company that always looks forward to the next possibility.