In 2001, Alpha was challenged by Cooper Standard Automotive to bring to the market new and dramatically improved weatherstrip coatings since current manufacturers were not investing in new technologies.  So began the research and development of weatherstrip coatings.  In 2003, Alpha was awarded the coating of thirteen different seals for the General Motor’s Envoy XUV, a sliding-roof SUV which could also serve as a pickup truck.  The coating manufacturer who was to supply the coating could not meet the specification.

By this time, Alpha had developed several new weatherstrip coatings with testing performed by outside laboratories.  When General Motors saw the coatings and the test results, Resilon WS151 and Resilon WS156 were chosen for the GM Envoy XUV.  These coatings were applied with new equipment manufactured by Alpha in its new facility at 622 South Corporate Drive.

This set the pattern for the future of Alpha Coatings as a company that manufactures and applies cutting-edge coatings, while designing and building customized equipment for their application.  Demand for Alpha’s specialized coatings grew at an almost unmanageable rate.  So, in 2005, Alpha began looking for a larger partner who could provide the support Alpha required to meet the demands. 

That partner was Whitford Worldwide, and in 2006 the merger was accomplished.