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applications, particularly because it is solvent resistant to 300°F.
But perhaps one of the biggest industries that AIC is
servicing is the food processing sector. The company's
location in the heart of California's Central Valley is within
one of the largest food-growing and processing areas in the
United States. This area of about 60 miles wide by almost
450 miles long includes such cities as Sacramento, Fresno,
Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto. Although it makes up
less than one percent of the U.S. acreage, the Central Valley
accounts for more than eight percent of all agriculture
AIC has grown in large part because of the food
processing plants in California's Central Valley, which
need to have coated parts for their machinery.
grown in the country, according to state officials, and it is
the largest food exporter in the U.S., providing 15 percent
of all exports. More than 6,000 growers harvest more than
250 different crops, including tomatoes, almonds, grapes,
cotton, apricots and asparagus.
Most of the food processors in the area handle fruits and
vegetables, meats, dairy products and other raw foods in
machines and equipment that need to be both corrosion-resistant and approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
That's where AIC comes in, using its various coating
methods and surface finishing products to fulfill the needs of
an ever-growing industry.
Lately, the company also has seen growth in business from
cheese plants and other processors who use augers in their
manufacturing lines, including those in the bagel industry
who use the equipment to mix breads and other materials.
According to the Office of Economic Development at
Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif., about 33 percent of the
roughly 6,000 processors are in the baked goods and tortilla
industry and often require heavy-duty coated equipment to
PRODUCTS FINISHING
— pfonline.com
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