OUR STORY

Nearly 90 Years of Metal Expertise

In 1936, Russell K. Glover purchased a small milk can coating company in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The main service was the hot-dip tin coating of steel, cast iron, and copper parts for other companies and individuals – a trade that required precision, care, and a deep understanding of how metals behave under heat.

Within a few years, his two sons – Howell Sr. and Russell Jr. – took over daily operations of that little company, then called National Can Retinning Co. With population growth and expanding roadways pushing commerce westward, the company began growing its dairy customer base and recognized it would need to relocate to keep pace.

In 1949, National Can Retinning Co. sold its Baltimore property and moved to Lima, Ohio. Early in 1950, a new division was established to perform virgin tin coatings for new milk cans and food preparation equipment – expanding their reach into the growing food service industry throughout the Midwest.

Over the decades, the company grew its capabilities well beyond retinning. Racing car frames, farm implement components, and industrial fabrication all became part of the service mix. The addition of powder coating – including FDA-approved formulations for food equipment – extended the company’s ability to serve customers who needed tough, long-lasting coatings for harsh working environments.

Today, Lima Powder Coating & Metal Coating Company operates as part of J.M. Hamilton Group, Inc., continuing to invest in equipment and workforce while holding to the same values that defined the company from the beginning: quality coatings, competitive pricing, and service built around the customer’s needs.

We remain one of the few companies in the United States still offering hot dip retinning for food service applications – a service that most competitors have long since abandoned, but one that food service customers still critically need.