Akron-based Linden Polyurethane says its recent acquisition by an industrial counterpart in Italy could enable it to expand its product offerings and bolster local operations.
Linden doesn’t make products from polyurethane; it makes the equipment that other companies use to do that.
Its equipment has broad-based applications, from consumer products companies that produce foam for things like Igloo coolers to shipbuilders making ships for the Navy, which have polyurethane foam lining their steel hulls, said Linden CEO Jon Cocco.
“The U.S. Navy uses our equipment to help make the hull of aircraft carriers,” he said.
Cocco said he’s retaining a minority stake in the company following its acquisition by Italy’s Saip, part of Pozzi Industries Group near Milan. Saip previously opened a warehouse in the Columbus, Ohio, in 2022.
Saip’s chief product line is equipment used to manufacture pre-formed construction panels that are insulated with polyurethane foam. It makes that equipment in Italy and ships it to international customers, including in the U.S., Cocco said.
Linden will support that business with its equipment service capabilities, but it might also make sense to make some of the equipment here, Cocco said.