Company Profile
IRMCO
Company Overview
Improving customer’s business through advanced technology has been IRMCO’s mission for over 95 years. Now in over 35 countries, IRMCO is a global solutions provider dedicated to LeanGreen® non-oil metalforming fluids, gels and consulting to optimize over 80 manufacturing, assembly, and environmental areas. More than 10 million gallons of oil based forming fluids have been displaced by IRMCO’s chemistry, contributing to a greener global environment. IRMCO FLUIDS®, IRMCO GEL®, and IRMCO EXTREME® brands are used to manufacture many of today’s critical components in automobiles, light and heavy trucks, exhaust systems, seating, class 'A' trim, aircraft, turf maintenance, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, appliances, and pressure vessels.
Company History
1914
After a highly successful career in sales at the Cataract Refining Company, William O. Jeffery, Sr. founded International Lubricants Ltd. in 1914 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1919, the company moved to its present location in Evanston, Illinois and took on the name International Refining and Manufacturing Company. In the early years International's primary products were based on animal and vegetable fats. The product line consisted of paste products such as Accrus, Excellus, IC #2, International X, International XX, International 50T, Road Compounds, and Supremus, and single non-paste product Coolus.
1950s
In 1958, William O. Jeffery III started as a salesman at International. His strong grasp of the lubricant market led to the development of Accru-Lube Liquid, a liquefied paste superior to existing products of the time in machining, grinding, and various drawing operations. From 1959 to 1961, this one product represented 70% of the company's annual sales. WOJ III eventually became the company's president and oversaw the company's two-and-a half times growth in the 1960s.
1960s
Arthur E. Dampts became the company's first director of research and development, forging new ground in product development and problem solving. He created an entirely new line of straight oils and soluble oils--such as the IRMCO 200 series, straight oils for high speed stamping, the IRMCO 300 series, soluble oils for machining aluminum, and IRMCO 303, the industry's first hard water stable emulsion. Fueled by the creative minds of William Jeffery and Arthur Dampts, International Refining and Manufacturing Company quadrupled in size in the 1970s. In 1979, IRMCO Non-Oil Fluids™ were introduced as the first water-based, metalstamping lubricants to significantly and consistently outperform oils in heavy duty stamping and drawing applications. The Non-Oil Fluids found huge success in deep drawing lawn mower deck and oil pans.
1970s & 80s
Brothers William C. Jeffery and Bradley J. Jeffery joined the company as sales representatives in 1979 and 1983, respectively. Soon after, the company became know officially as IRMCO, an acronym of its formal name. Sales representatives undertook additional training to meet the diverse needs of metal stamping industry and thereafter became known as manufacturing methods consultants. Between 1982 and 1984, the company doubled in size. Whereas International Refining once provided a full line of oils, such as hydraulic oils and cutting oils, IRMCO sought to service the highly specialized, niche market of metal stamping. IRMCO Non-Oil Fluids provided this market with novel, value added solutions to long-standing industry problems.
Unlike the inexpensive yet costly-to-use straight oils and soluble oils of yesterday, the Non-Oil Fluids were lubricant investments that could pay dividends in more efficient downstream cleaning and/or painting processes and in reduced environmental liability. Meanwhile, IRMCO's Metalstamping Program provided an intensely hands-on level of service that focused on problem solving and manufacturing process improvements.
1990s
IRMCO experienced record growth. In 1996, the research and development laboratory was named the Arthur E. Dampts Research and Development Center in honor of its previous director's thirty years of innovative product development and creative problem solving. A renewed commitment to product development research in that same year led to a rebirth of IRMCO and a realignment of corporate strategy. In 1997, the company unveiled a new corporate tagline: Advanced Lubricant Technologies, to emphasize its dedication to new product research and development.
Today The R&D Center has expanded to include GREENLEAF TECHNOLOGIES, a friction and formability research service, and has carried forward the tradition of scientific discovery and market value with an ever-evolving line of new products. IRMCO GEL®, the first water-based gel product for tube bending. IRMCO FLUIDS® are a wave of new products spawned from the original Non-Oil Fluids, including IRMCO FLUIDS® HIGH STRENGTH FORMULA, a high performance chemistry engineered to control the high heat and friction generated from the new demands of advanced and ultra high strength steel forming.
Notable Products / Brands
IRMCO FLUIDS, GEL, EXTREME, DRY, IC2
Notable Clients
Mercedes, Martinrea, BMW, Harley Davidson, Magna, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Freightliner, Roll Royce, Nissan, Rover, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, International, Geely, Toyota, MINI, Land Rover, General Motors, Tenneco, Tower, Murray, Detroit Diesel, Faurecia, Benteler, Delphi, Dana, ArvinMeritor, Eagle Wings, Grinnell Corp. Inland Tool, U.S. Filter, Lennox, Trane, Fleetguard, Toledo Technologies, United Technologies Carrier, WCI, Raytheon, Chubb, Phillips, John Deere, Frigidaire, Whirpool, and Maytag
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Technology In Today¹s Leading Brands In Over 35 Countries IRMCO FLUIDS®, IRMCO GEL®, and IRMCO EXTREME® environmentally green metal forming fluids (metal forming lubricants) replace stamping and drawing oils and are used in the metal forming, metal stamping, deep drawing and the mandrel tube bending process of many of today's critical components throughout the world, including advanced and ultra high strength steel (at 60, 70, 80, 90+ KSI levels) passenger car and truck structures, vehicle frames, sub-frames, chassis modules, suspension arms, exhaust system components, seat supports, bumper assemblies, engine oil pans and valve covers, Class 'A' trim products, aircraft components, furnace heat exchangers, turf maintenance equipment, household appliances, high pressure tanks, and fire extinguishers.