Henkel Corp. announced the grand opening of its new Application and Technology Center for its OSI brand. The OSI brand’s mission is to make every structure tougher than the elements. Their sealants, adhesives and foams set the standard for building envelope performance. And their professional training, application information and nationwide support network provide a powerful industry resource that helps raise the professionalism of the window, door and siding markets. With more than 50 years of on-the-jobsite knowledge and deep building science expertise, OSI is the leader in building products and services designed for professionals.

This dynamic new facility is built to ensure innovation lives up to the challenges installers, specifiers and other industry professionals face every day on the jobsite. Designed to be a catalyst for the development of innovative technologies, the 11,400-square-foot center of competence features a state-of-the-art Product Development lab and world-class Application Center. In this Application Center, Henkel’s OSI team will collaborate with industry-leading building material manufacturers to deliver compatible solutions for the entire building envelope. Together, Henkel/OSI and its partners will address ever-changing performance demands as materials, practices and regulations evolve. 

This versatile space will also serve as an experimentation, learning and proving ground for new products and methods. It features industry-rated testing equipment and dedicated space for hands-on product application. 

The OSI brand is leveraging the Application and Technology Center as a platform to answer the challenges of skilled labor shortage in the construction industry. In this space, Henkel’s OSI team can conduct proper installation trainings for window and door installers on both replacement and new construction applications. It can also be used to host AIA CEU seminars for architects. 

“This is a one-of-a-kind facility for industry experts, professionals and strategic alliances,” said Dan Brogan, president of the consumer and craftsman division at Henkel North America. “The Application and Technology Center provides not only a showcase for OSI product innovation, but also an opportunity to engage with installers and building material manufacturers in exciting new ways that can drive the entire market forward.”

The Application Center is built in the Mentor, Ohio manufacturing facility, which has been recognized as one of Henkel’s top plants in the world for safety, quality and service.