Author: T.S.U. Simón Petit, March 22, 2023.
The history of Carboline Corporation
In 1947, Stanley Lopata developed a product in order to solve the problem of a client, who asked Lopata to help him mitigate corrosion in an asset of his company; and that was how Mr. and Mrs. Lopata were the founders of Carboline Corporation, later turning his home’s basement chemistry lab into a $46 million business.
Stanley Lopata was born on August 30, 1914 in Illinois. From a very young age he always showed an interest in chemistry and physics. He graduated in 1935 from the Washington University College of Arts and Sciences, St Louis, Missouri. For her part, Lucy Mayer Lopata was born in 1915 in Germany, attended high school and high school in Switzerland, and graduated in 1936 in the United States. Together, they were longtime friends from the University of Washington, and especially from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
70 years later, solving customer problems is still Carboline’s goal. The company is a global distributor of passive fire protection products and coatings, with offices and factories throughout the world. They are strongly committed to the protective coatings industry and actively participate with professional organizations working in corrosion control, water distribution and passive fire protection.
They also work to drive and develop research for the future of the coatings industry. In this sense, the priority is to satisfy the needs and reach the expectations of the clients, recommending the appropriate solutions to their projects; For this reason, customers around the world trust their work and the high-quality products they distribute.
The commitment to improve performance, the extensive experience in the industrial market, the constant investment in tests and the development of long-lasting products and the ability to overcome challenges, have made them an invaluable source of knowledge for customers.
Despite their success over the years, they have never lost sight of what led them out of the Stanley basement : to become a global provider of highly effective, versatile coatings, and to develop the exact technology customers need. Today, Carboline is the market leader in over 40 coating technologies with over 500 active-state products.
But the success of the Lopatas also fundamentally lies in the philanthropic nature of the couple by creating spaces and stimuli to promote the talents of Washington University students and civic and cultural projects in St Louis. For more than 70 years, she and her husband have earned a reputation as two of the most generous and committed people in the St. Louis, supporting philanthropic, cultural and civic projects. Ms. Lopata was president of the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation and was involved in countless philanthropic organizations.
For his contributions, the university has also honored him in appreciation. “It is clear that Lucy and Stanley Lopata They will live forever at the University of Washington through so many different places, from buildings, galleries, and cafes, to professorships and close friendships with many faculty and staff members,” says Ralph S. Quatrano, Ph.D, Spencer Professor T. Olin and dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences”.
He adds: “Lucy and Stanley have meant so much to this school – their generosity, commitment and warm personalities have always been so evident, even in mid-April. We will all miss them at these events, but the Lopata name will remain in all its splendor.” Proof of this are the monuments dedicated to them on the university campus, such as Lopata Hall, Lopata Courtyard in Simon Hall, the Lopata Classic, a men’s basketball tournament that takes place every fall, and Plaza Lopata.
Stanley Lopata died on January 18, 2000 at the age of 85 and Lucy Mayer Lopata died on Friday, May 24, 2013. He was 98 years old.