This month marks 75 years since ground was broken on our historic Jefferson Hills site—shaped by generations of scientists, engineers, and industry leaders, and preserved by our frontline operators and maintenance team.
The site's story began in 1950, when Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corporation (PICCO) broke ground on the land, recognising its strategic location along the Monongahela River. Over the next twenty years, the company’s research labs led breakthroughs in resin development.
By 1973, Hercules Inc. had acquired PICCO and later expanded the operations, driving new advancements in the adhesives industry. In 2001, Hercules’ resin business was sold to the Eastman Chemical Company - bringing the Jefferson Hills site under Eastman’s ownership.
Jefferson Hills entered its next chapter in 2022, when we acquired the site, along with six other core manufacturing sites across the globe, as part of the Eastman Adhesive Resins acquisition, which created our Adhesive Solutions division. Today, the site is home to our C5 and Pure Monomer hydrocarbon resin production and employs over 200 people.
As proud members of their local community, our Jefferson Hills colleagues regularly participate in highway cleanups, volunteer at food banks, donate supplies to local animal shelters, visit residents of the local nursing home, and more. Their dedication extends beyond the workplace, bridging science and everyday life in ways that create lasting impact.
With a legacy spanning 75 years and a commitment to continued innovation and community engagement, Jefferson Hills will remain a driving force in both science and community for generations to come.
Notes to editors
About Synthomer plc
Synthomer plc is a leading supplier of high-performance, highly specialised polymers and ingredients that play vital roles in key sectors such as coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection – growing markets for customers who serve billions of end users worldwide. Headquartered in London, UK and listed there since 1971, we employ c.3,900 employees across our five innovation centres of excellence and 29 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America, Middle East and Asia.
Our purpose is creating innovative and sustainable solutions for the benefit of customers and society. Around 20% of our sales volumes are from new and patent protected products. At our innovation centres of excellence in the UK, China, Germany, Malaysia and USA we collaborate closely with our customers to develop new products and enhance existing ones tailored to their needs, with an increasing range of sustainability benefits.
Our 2030 decarbonisation targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative as being in line with what the latest climate science says is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, and since 2021 we have held the London Stock Exchange Green Economy Mark, which recognises green technology businesses making a significant contribution to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy. Find us at www.synthomer.com or search for Synthomer on LinkedIn.