Despite torrential rain from the remnants of Hurricane Frances during Converting's onsite visit last fall, the sun is shining brightly on Commonwealth Laminating & Coating, Inc. The maker of solar-control window- and specialty films based in Martinsville, VA, not only has completed a recent $6 million plant expansion but also expects its sales to more than double over the next few years.

CLC coats, laminates and further converts a range of materials under its SunTek™ brand name, including Spectra Series automotive-window films; Symphony and Infinity Series residential and commercial-construction window films; clear and solar safety and security films; and specialty products such as white-matte privacy film. Currently, automotive makes up 60 percent of overall sales, residential films account for 30 percent, and the remainder is in safety and security products. Marketwise, CLC exports about half of its annual production, mainly to customers in Taiwan, Thailand, and other parts of Asia and Russia.

Originally established as a toll-coater and contract converter, CLC has blossomed under the direction of president Steve Phillips, who joined the company six years ago. Business was refocused toward domestic and international sales of thin, high-quality, optically clear coating and laminating of polyester for window film.

"Our goal is to become one of the leading window-film producers in the world," Phillips says. "The expansion gives us the technical capability and capacity to accomplish that."

To achieve this goal, it didn't take Phillips and other CLC managers long to realize the existing production systems needed revision. A 10-year-old custom Genik coater/laminator, while the workhorse for the company, was now both too narrow (60 in.) and too simple to efficiently and cost-effectively accomplish the tasks planned. After a lengthy approval process and specification input, CLC chose to install what it terms "the most technically-advanced window-film line in the world."

CLC worked closely with Black Clawson Converting Machinery, Inc. (Fulton, NY). Installed in a new 15,000-sq-ft addition last March, the 74-in. tandem coater/laminator features two in-line coating operations. Automatic splicers on both unwinds and rewind enable continuous operation at speeds to 250 fpm. And the system also slits and trims to a final 72-in. width in-line.

"The Black Clawson does all the laminating, solar-reflective coatings, pressure-sensitive coatings, and release-liner lamination in one pass-through," explains vp of operations Matt Phillips (no relation to Steve). "The older Genik unit is dedicated solely to laminating now."

"Our capacity has tripled," Steve Phillips says. "We have twice the line speed and higher yield. Not having a 72-in. width in the solar-control film market was a definite disadvantage for us before. Today, we can offer one- or two-day turnaround, if necessary."

The new BC line employs several state-of-the-art subsystem technologies. Among them: an advanced UV-curing unit from Fusion UV Systems, Inc. (Gaithersburg, MD), sophisticated AC-vector drives by Eurotherm Drives, Inc. (Charlotte, NC), Accuweb Micro 4000® NET network-controllable web guides (Madison, WI), and two convective, gas-fired IR dryers from MEGTEC Systems (DePere, WI). Solar-reflective and p-s coating heads are proprietary.

"Our proprietary methods for all coatings are what makes our products unique in the industry," Steve Phillips says.

Another leading-edge technology on the new line is its BC Integrator II™ supervisory control system. Using twin video cameras, the arrangement lets an operator stationed at either the central control console or near remote units keep track of the entire line's production. The Integrator II allows for better data logging, data-tracking management and system-wide control, the supplier says.

CLC outsources its primary substrates: clear PET from DuPont Teijin Films (Wilmington, DE); and dyed and vacuum-metallized, sputter/metallized and silicone-release film from Mitsubishi Polyester Film LLC (Greer, SC), CPFilms (Martinsville, VA), Vacuum Depositing, Inc. (Louisville, KY), and Acquired Technology, Inc. (Alpharetta, GA).

Downstream, CLC uses three custom rewinders built in-house to convert parent rolls into shorter-length rolls for shipment. All employ Montalvo Co. (Gorham, ME) tension controls. One custom slitter/rewinder, also built in-house, handles any further converting needed.

"Ours is a knowledge-intensive, not labor-intensive business," Steve Phillips says. "It's using our unique processes, productivity and capabilities to be better than the best in the industry."

And knowledge is certainly something CLC has. Steve Phillips holds an MBA and two engineering degrees, Matt Phillips has engineering degrees and there are three other MBAs among the company's senior management staff. "In a semi-mature industry like window film, people are your real asset," Steve Phillips adds.

Skillful application of people is another aspect of CLC's current success. Each line manager has a human-resources role, and many tasks are shared by all operators. For example, there is no specific quality-control staff. "Operators are QC-responsible for each run of materials," explains Matt Phillips. "They personally test for adhesion to glass and release-liner adhesion."

Steve Phillips believes CLC's tight focus on being a highly flexible, high-tech company is a major factor in its success, enabling it to achieve very short "to market" times of only four to six weeks for new products. Task-sharing and "growth" as the key corporate objective are especially emphasized, he says.

One result is that CLC sales per employee are much higher than its competitors. "We estimate it's twice as high," he says. "With flexibility of staff and cross-training the workforce, you can do it all."

Steve Phillips estimates the world market for window films currently at $350 million, and growing at roughly 6–8 percent a year. While the US and Latin America represent more mature markets, Asia, China and Russia instead show growth above 10 percent a year, he says.

With about a 6-percent global market share, CLC considers itself a world player. "We have ambitious plans for our company," Steve Phillips says. It expects sales to increase from $22 million this year to $50 million over the next three to five years, effectively doubling its market share by 2008.

CPFilms, which is CLC's literal crosstown rival, is considered No. 1 worldwide in window-film sales. That coater/laminator and filmmaker is both a competitor and supplier to CLC, but he says the two firms maintain a good working relationship. Long-term, CLC expects to be the second-biggest solar-control film company in the world. Existing capacity will serve the converter well through 2009, Steve Phillips says, but new capacity will be needed after 2010.

"We'll add new equipment as necessary," he says. "For now, we're always looking for capable people in all areas. And we want to explore opportunities to extend our processes to non-window film applications."

If its recent history is any clue, CLC will take advantage of any clear window of opportunity, and make cash while the sun shines.