Gage Reaches a Milestone

Gage Products Company was founded in 1936, making this year our 80th year in business. This is quite an accomplishment for a business. Only those who consistently deliver quality products and services stay around as long.

When we started we were on a mission—to be the world’s preferred supplier of chemical 80 Years Logorelated products and processes. We have succeeded and today we are the world’s leading provider of closed-loop recycling and toll blending processes for automotive and general industrial paint solvents. We also supply high-performance solvent blends, test fuels, calibration fluids, paint line cleaning programs, and specialty product solutions. Our solutions provide customers with innovative and unique custom technologies to meet the specific needs of their applications.

Even though we are a chemical company, over the years we have dedicated ourselves to making a constant commitment to
sustainability and the environment. Our sustainable business practices help reduce 80 Years Image 1our carbon footprint and environmental impact. Through the use of our solvent and application solutions, we have been instrumental in helping many industries, and especially the auto industry, reduce their environmental impact as well. Uniquely designed water or solvent borne purge solutions and recovery systems maximize efficiency and minimize waste in paint line systems and equipment cleaning. We promote sustainable product alternatives and have helped industries use products and systems that are eco-friendly and offer outstanding capabilities.

The motto we have adopted “Vision, Quality, Commitment” wraps up our goals as a 80 Years Image 2company. We truly think about the overall picture of how our products impact industry, people, and the environment now and for the future (Vision). We stand behind all of our products and consistently deliver chemicals that exceed the expectations of our customers (Quality). With a dedication to outstanding customer service, we strive to form partnerships with our customers to supply them with the specific products for their needs (Commitment).

We are proud and excited to be celebrating our 80th anniversary! Reaching 80 is a milestone and as a gift to ourselves and the field, we will continue to innovate and remain active with successful industry contributions as we work towards our next 80!

Looking Forward to an Eventful 2016

Starting fresh means setting out a new list of goals to potentially improve circumstances and, at the beginning of a new year, usually comes in the form of resolutions. For us, a resolution doesn’t give our name justice because, at Gage Products, we continually work to2016 Outlook Image 2 - Feb. 2016 provide the highest quality products and services year in and year out. We call this TheGage Difference.

This summer, Gage will celebrate 80 years in business. This is quite a milestone! Started in 1935, we are still a family-owned operation that continues to serve the automotive industry as we did in the beginning. We have won numerous awards for our manufacturing excellence and operational compliance. In 2016, we will continue our tradition to innovate this year with new solvents, fuels, recycling systems, and solutions for any challenging manufacturing problems.

In the coming months we will also be redesigning our website to incorporate the most up-to-date company news, plus the addition of new content. Increasing our site information brings more value to our customer’s ability to interact with our company. We will be featuring our latest tweets, news, events, and new product developments. Be sure to check in with us often!

As we set out to take on the new year, we are looking forward to another year of exceptional commitment to environmental and community stewardship, the sustainable manufacturing of solvents, and providing solutions for manufacturers’ greatest challenges.

Happy New Year from all of us at Gage Products!

Gage Partners with Ford to Support The Children’s Center at Detroit Auto Show

Ford Autoglow Jan. 2016 ImageThe North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is a premier destination for industry professionals and auto enthusiasts from around the world. This yearly event is attended by millions of people who come to Detroit to view the vehicle introductions and concept vehicles from all leading manufacturers. The show ran from January 11th to the 24th in Detroit, Michigan.

NAIAS kicked off the festivities with the Charity Preview event. We were personally proud to be a sponsor of 2016 AUTOGLOW: The 25th presented by Ford Motor Company. This event was held at Ford Field on the 15th, and supported children’s charities through The Children’s Center. For over 85 years The Children’s Center has been providing therapeutic mental and behavioral health services to families and children to help them overcome emotional and intellectual challenges they may suffer as a result of trauma from abuse, neglect, or poverty. Each year over 7,500 children and families from the greater Detroit area receive services through The Children’s Centersupported children’s charities

Our sponsorship helps to provide the resources the center needs to support group play therapy and art supplies for children who have suffered trauma that they cannot verbalize.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of AutoGlow and, since its beginnings in 1976, the Charity Preview has raised over $100 million for the children of Southeastern Michigan. We were happy to attend and support this exclusive and high-profile fundraising event to champion the children of Michigan and empower their future.

For more pictures from the event click here.

Another Year Comes to a Close: Putting the Final Brushstrokes on 2015

Gage Products has been in business since 1936, and in these almost 80 years and 3 generations of family ownership, we have celebrated many holiday seasons. What we have learned is that the holidays are a time for family and friends. As a family-owned company, our family and friends include the men and women we work with every day. Without the support and dedication of our employees, Gage couldn’t reach the quality and service standards we are committed to uphold.

Every year we host a holiday celebration to show our sincerest appreciation for our work family. This year we will be celebrating on Dec. 11 with our annual Gage Holiday Party. It’s a fun event where everyone has a chance to relax and unwind with good food and good company. The holiday party is our way of saying thank you for all the hard work and dedication our employees give to make Gage’s products and services the best in the industry.

Over the past year we continued our commitment to delivering customer-driven products that meet the most demanding requirements. Our customer service team is empowered to apply their knowledge, skill and creativity to apply the standardized tools and documented practices that improve customer satisfaction. We consistently meet or exceed environmental laws and with the Gage Production System we will continue to be the world’s preferred supplier of chemical related products and processes. Operations in North America, Brazil, and Europe support the global effort of high-quality manufacturing.

As we close out another year, it’s the perfect time to extend our heartfelt thanks to our employees and our loyal customers.

From our family to yours we hope you all have a happy and healthy holiday season!

General Motors Facility Receives Pollution Prevention Award

In order to promote improvements in public health and environmental quality, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) recognizes projects that “eliminate or reduce the generation of pollutants or wastes at the source or projects that conserve natural resources.” The Pollution Prevention Award was recently presented to the General GM Purge Thinner Reduction Project Nov. 2015Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City for its Purge Thinner Reduction Project.

The goal of this project was to find ways to reduce the amount of the thinner used to clear paint lines when changing colors. The plant began the project by forming a Purge Reduction Committee that examined and analyzed the current process and materials. In monthly meetings they looked at how the thinner was used to determine where reductions could be made without sacrificing quality or productivity.

By switching thinners from the one they were using to Gage purge solvents, they realized the savings and benefits almost immediately. Our high-performance formulations are designed to improve the quality of paint applications using less solvent than is required by other products. Using the new product reduced paint per vehicle as well as lowered material and waste disposal costs. And, best of all, environmental compliance is increased and less thinner is needed to complete the purge process.

By reevaluating the process of purging the paint line piping between color changes and switching to Gage purge solvents, GM decreased thinner use by 101,894 gal, lowered VOC emissions by 92,700 pounds, and saved $405,500 over 12 months.

Using Gage purge solvents improved efficiencies at the Chevy Malibu and Buick Lacrosse assembly plant and resulted in clean, efficient, and fast color changes. Process variability and system costs were reduced which maximized the plant’s efficiency while minimizing wastes.

Gage develops high-quality solvent solutions and specializes in:

• Uniquely designed purge solvents
• Solvent recovery and solvent blending solutions
• High performance blended solvent and water borne purge solutions

We are continually working to shrink the environmental impact of our products and are proud to have been involved with the GM Purge Thinner Reduction Project and the recognition it received through this award. For more information on our sustainable products check out our website.

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Celebrate the Opening of Gage’s New Innovation Center

At Gage, we follow some straightforward ideals: quality, reliability, innovation, customer focus, and environmental stewardship. With the opening of our new Gage Innovation Center we have put all of these concepts into overdrive to strengthen our commitment to vehicle manufacturers and the automotive and industrial suppliers we serve.

Our commitment to advancing research and development efforts for new products and Grand Opening Image Nov. 2015continued growth is evident in our new center. This multi-million dollar facility, located at our 12-acre Ferndale headquarters site, is important for many reasons: It lets us bring the Quality Control (QC) and Research & Development (R&D) departments together under the same roof for easier collaboration and in-house testing. We celebrated the official opening on Oct. 15th with community leaders, state and local officials, and, of course, all of our valued employees.

One of the most exciting aspects of this new center is the state-of-the-art laboratory outfitted with highly technical equipment. Our scientists now have access to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry equipment, both of which are critical to the multitude of tests we run. In the past, it was also time consuming to deliver reports and findings across departments — the new computerized, integrated information system allows technicians to share QC and R&D testing results much more quickly and efficiently.

This new facility also allows us to add new capabilities. We are now able to:

• Perform aromatic and detailed hydrocarbon analysis for fuels
• Determine compound identifications through use of a mass spectrometry upgrade
• Execute critical testing on up to 50 distinct fuel properties
• Increase storage capacity for customer-product test samples

As one of our missions is for continuous improvement, this new Innovation Center gives Grand Opening Image 2 Nov. 2015our QC technicians better control and focus on the 500+ tests that we run each week. Performing all the tests in our own laboratory, without needing to outsource, lets us deliver results in 1-2 days. If re-testing is necessary, it can begin right away. The benefit greatly enhances the service we provide for our customers.

This new Innovation Center is an investment in our future so that we can expand our capabilities and develop new products while continuing to offer outstanding customer service. Gage is certified for ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 and the new Gage Innovation Center laboratory is in the process of certifying to ISO 17025 standards.

To learn more about our expanded and upgraded facilities and capabilities, feel free to contact us. We’d love to share our new innovations with you!

Gage Products Company Announces New Lab

Gage Products Company is excited to announce our new, state-of-the-art laboratory, which is set to open in August. This new lab will be our dedicated in-house product development facility and will allow us to improve our quality control and analytical capabilities for our customers. We built this new lab to increase our internal capabilities and streamline our current processes to enhance new product development to better service our customers. It will also help grow new opportunities by developing an innovations center and help Gage Products Company meet the needs of chemical and automotive industries for today and the future.

We are thoroughly committed to reducing our environmental footprint through sustainable practices that support the needs of today and for future generations. Our products are all designed, formulated, and manufactured with the care of our natural resources in mind.

Our solutions are known for providing customers with unique and innovative custom technology. We are a prominent supplier of high performance solvent blends, test fuels, calibration fluids, paint line cleaning programs and specialty product solutions for various applications. We firmly believe, as we continue our mission to be the world’s preferred supplier of chemical related products and processes, that we can also build a better world. Our purge solvents are developed with recovery in mind and our closed loop remanufacturing process allows us to recycle solvents and chemical waste resulting in millions of gallons being remanufactured. Additionally, our chemical recycling, fractional distillation, and toll remanufacturing help us to build a more sustainable future.

Since our business opened in Ferndale in 1936, we have dedicated ourselves to earning the trust and respect of our customers, partners and neighbors, which has helped our company grow locally and globally. Gage Products Company now spans three continents and we will continue to grow through careful planning, forward thinking, product integrity and solid customer and community partnerships.

To learn more about Gage Products Company and our new lab, visit our website. We also post more company updates and industry news on our Twitter and LinkedIn pages.

Gage Gives Back

At Gage Products it is incredibly important for our company to not only to contribute to more sustainable businesses, but to also provide for our community as well. At our global headquarters in Ferndale, MI we participate in several different events throughout the year to help our community grow and thrive.

Gage Firefighter Training

We recently hosted local fire departments at our facility as they conducted training exercise. We partnered with Oakway – South in early May to host 50 participants as they conducted a mock incident designed to improve preparedness in our community. Oakway Hazardous Materials Response Team – South is a mutual aid organization comprised of equipment and members from Ferndale, Royal Oak, Madison Heights, Southfield, Birmingham, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Township, Pontiac, and Waterford Fire Departments. Sargent Robert Farrar (Ferndale Fire Dept. and foam trailer trainer) coordinated the training with Scott Gardner, Royal Oak Fire Dept. (Vice Chairman, Oakland County Hazardous Materials Response Team – South). The exercise allowed the firefighters to plan and execute response for a gasoline tanker truck spill and subsequent fire and included classroom and hands-on training to address the repair of tanker dome hatches and extinguishing foam application.

Gage Products provided the foam trailers used in the exercise and we have voluntarily invested in the fire extinguishing foam  trailers in 2009, and has provided cooperative training with the Ferndale Fire Department and Oakway – South ever since.

Each year we also sponsor the Rainbow Run, a 5K run in downtown Ferndale, which helps to foster diversity and acceptance in the community. The run took place on May 30th and this year we were one of the color station sponsors where our employees volunteered to share in the fun of covering runners in the colors.

Finally, each year we grant a scholarship to a local high school student. We recently updated the requirements to expand the pool of students who are eligible to apply. Previously, it was only applicable to students wishing to pursue a chemistry degree, but as the need for more STEM and STEAM education grows, we have update the requirements. Recipients can continue to receive money for up to four years as long as they stay in a related program.

To learn more about Gage and our commitment to our community, visit our website. We also share more pictures and event updates on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Gage Products’ Chairman and President Honored as Executive of the Year

Gage Products’ own Chairman and President, Dan Finkiewicz was recognized as the 2014 Executive of the Year by the Ferndale Mayor’s Business Council. Each year the council honors local business leaders and companies that have positively impacted the Ferndale community and we’re very happy to be acknowledged along with the other companies and community members.

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At Gage Products we are very proud our Chairman and President is being recognized for the hard work he has been doing for the company. All of our employees have been focused on helping our company grow locally and globally. As an industry leader in purge solvent development, our closed-loop solvent reclamation program, and custom fuel blending we are constantly working towards improving our products and services. This benefits our customers, our community, and the environment. We are currently focused on the research and development of test and reference fuels, emissions and endurance testing. To enhance the success of these goals we’re building a new, state-of-the-art laboratory that will help our company with in-house product development which is also dedicated to improving our analytical capabilities and quality control processes.

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Since our beginning in 1936, Gage Products has had a flexible approach with has helped us continually grow and adapt to the needs of an ever-changing marketplace. As we grow we will remain an active partner with the community of Ferndale.

To learn more about our products visit our website and to stay up-to-date with our company follow Gage Products on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Gage Products Company: Year in Review

As we welcome in the New Year we wanted to take some time to reflect on some of the events that occurred in our company in 2014 and what we hope to bring to our customers in 2015. In 2014 our company saw growth consistent with that of the automotive industry and we also expanded the reach of our website where we’re happy to share with our readers that our website is now available in seven different languages. We also participated in some educational and fun events. Around this time last year we were preparing for the National American International Auto Show (NAIAS). This auto show is extremely valuable to our company as it allows us to meet with automotive industry professionals from all around the world.

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We also sponsored the SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge. This event encourages STEM education by allowing engineering students to re-engineer existing snowmobiles so that they will be more fuel efficient, promote lower emissions, and reduce noise levels while maintaining high performance. As a company that is strongly focused on sustainability we love to be a part of this challenge and to help future generations discover the value of being environmentally conscious.

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Finally, we co-sponsored the Ferndale Rainbow Run last summer. This 5K run/walk is to encourage acceptance and diversity within the community. As we mentioned as a part of our Corporate Social Responsibility we try to play an active role within our community and build on our tenets of community service and environmental sustainability.

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Our goal for 2015 is to build on these principles and continue to demonstrate responsible behavior towards ourselves, our community, and our environment. This will be achieved through our business model, which is designed to adapt to developing and changing market conditions. Equally important is that it focuses on sustainable practices, which allows us to deliver superior value to all our stakeholders. To learn more about Gage Products, visit our website or follow us on Twitter.