Nagase America Launches Coatings Innovation Lab Following ATI Acquisition

Nagase America has acquired Alexander Technical Institute (ATI), a coatings testing, training, and technical laboratory based in Costa Mesa, California, and rebranded it as Nagase Coatings Lab – Americas (NCL-A).

According to Nagase, the lab adds capabilities in product development, quality and performance testing, formulation assistance, raw-materials evaluation, custom color matching, and competitive benchmarking. For formulators, this means these steps of evaluation can be run alongside material sourcing rather than handled through separate providers.

ATI was founded in 2015 by Cyriac Alexander, who has 50 years of experience in the coatings industry. Nagase reports that the institute has trained more than 140 professionals through in-person courses, graduated over 45 students from its online program, and supported more than 15 technical developments across the coatings value chain. NCL-A will continue to operate from the Costa Mesa facility.

“Quality testing and technical support are among the most in-demand services across our customer base,” said Hiroyuki Kayashita, President and COO of Nagase America. “With NCL-A, we can now deliver those capabilities in-house.” Cyriac Alexander, who founded ATI, indicated that the lab’s existing focus, developing industrial knowledge for coatings professionals and supporting commercialization of new products will continue under Nagase.

For coatings formulators evaluating new grades or qualifying alternatives, the addition pairs hands-on testing and benchmarking with supplier-side material selection.