Acquisition expands Nagase America's coatings capabilities with dedicated testing, training, and technical innovation lab in Costa Mesa, California

ITASCA, Ill., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nagase America LLC, a leader in specialty chemicals and the North American subsidiary of NAGASE & Co. LTD., announced the acquisition of Alexander Technical Institute, LLC (ATI), a specialized coatings testing, training, and technical innovation laboratory based in Costa Mesa, California. The lab has been rebranded as Nagase Coatings Lab – Americas (NCL-A) and will operate as part of Nagase America's growing portfolio of technical capabilities serving the coatings industry. The acquisition adds dedicated laboratory capabilities in product development, quality testing, formulation support, and competitive benchmarking to Nagase America's portfolio, strengthening the company's ability to serve as a full-service technical partner in the coatings market.

"This acquisition is a direct result of listening to our customers," said Hiroyuki Kayashita, President and COO of Nagase America. "Quality testing and technical support are among the most in-demand services across our customer base. With NCL-A, we can now deliver those capabilities in-house, giving us more opportunity to add value to the coatings industry." 

About Nagase Coatings Lab - Americas

Founded in 2015 by 50-year coatings industry veteran, Cyriac Alexander, the Alexander Technical Institute built a reputation as a trusted resource for developing and expanding industrial knowledge for professionals in coatings and related industries. ATI has trained over 140 professionals through in-person courses, graduated more than 45 students from its online eCourse program, and supported over 15 technical innovations for leading companies across the coatings value chain.

"When I founded ATI, my goal was to develop and expand industrial knowledge for professionals in the coatings industry and to help companies commercialize innovative products," said Cyriac Alexander, Founder and former President & CEO of ATI. "Nagase America shares that commitment to technical excellence and innovation. I am confident that under the Nagase umbrella, NCL-A will have the global resources and reach to carry this mission forward and make a great impact for customers and for the industry."

As NCL-A, we will continue to operate from our state-of-the-art functional laboratory in Costa Mesa, California, offering customers an integrated suite of services, including quality and performance testing, competitive benchmarking, raw materials evaluation and formulation assistance, custom color matching, and technical training for sales, marketing, and R&D professionals.

About Nagase America

Nagase America is a leading distributor and manufacturer of specialty chemicals, with material science solutions across the chemicals, life sciences, functional materials, electronics, and mobility industries.

Nagase America is part of NAGASE Group, a leading chemical trading firm in Japan, founded in 1832. With more than 100 Group companies in 30 countries and regions, NAGASE offers unique value to customers by combining group functions of manufacturing, processing, and R&D and in 2025 was ranked No. 4 among the 'Top 100 Chemical Distributors' list published by ICIS, a global provider of chemical market information. 

For more information, see www.nagaseamerica.com.

NCL-A Lab Location

Nagase Coatings Lab – Americas (NCL-A)

2950 Airway Avenue, Suite A-3

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

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SOURCE Nagase America LLC