Hexcel Corp.

History

Year	Detail
1948	Bud Hughes and Roger Steele incorporated Hexcel Corp. as California Reinforced Plastics in Pleasanton, California.
1953	California Reinforced Plastics introduced its first Vautour bomber/fighter is one of the first French military aircraft to use a significant amount of composite parts made with glass fabrics and sandwich panels.
1954	California Reinforced Plastics changed its name to Hexcel Products Inc.
1967	Hexcel opens its first overseas plant in Welkenraedt, Belgium.
1968	Hexcel acquired Coast Manufacturing, one of its principal suppliers. It has manufacturing plants in Livermore, California, Seguin, Texas, and Lancaster, Ohio.
1971	Hexcel begins manufacturing skis, combining several of the company's materials and technologies into a single finished product.
1977	The company acquired Towers Scientific, which specializes in manufacturing custom implants for knee, hip, and shoulder joints.
1996	Hexcel acquires Ciba-Geigy's composites business and Hercules's composites operation, acquiring key aerospace qualifications and substantial carbon fiber capabilities. The company moves its headquarters from Pleasanton, California, to Stamford, Connecticut.
2003	Hexcel opened a production unit at Les Aveniéres, France, dedicated entirely to carbon fiber weaving and multiaxial and performing operations.
2007	Hexcel opened a prepreg plant in Stade, Germany, and announced plans to build a prepreg facility in China.
2014	Hexcel acquired a 50% interest in Formax UK Ltd., a manufacturer of composite reinforcements specializing in the production of lightweight multiaxial fabrics.
2016	Hexcel opens a manufacturing plant in Morocco.
2018	Hexcel partnered with Arkema to build Thermoplastic Composite Solutions for Aerospace and Opened a New Plant in France to Meet the Growing Demand for Advanced Composites.
2019	Hexcel and Arkema Open Joint Research and Development Laboratory in Les Avenières, France. The company acquired ARC Technologies.
2022	Hexcel launched HexPly Nature RangeTM to the recreational market. These natural fibers, combined with bio-derived epoxy resins, provide sustainable options.
2023	Hexcel signed a new agreement with Fairmat to recycle carbon fiber prepreg from operations in Germany for reuse in composite panels sold into commercial markets.