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January 2013 | Business World Magazine | 21
blast with numerous clients, it also sparked
ideas among scientists working with the U.S.
Government in the Manhattan Project. In-
tent to discover a method of extruding ra-
dioactive uranium to develop what became
the world’s first atomic bomb, the scientists
turned to William Bonnell for help.
From a humble flooring contractor,
Bonnell’s impact on industry would evolve
over the years that followed. During the
early 1950s, after becoming superintendent
and general manager of Trimedge, Inc. (later
known as Trimedge of Georgia, Inc.), Mr.
Bonnell continued to develop new variet-
ies of decorative moldings as well as new
finishes and new product lines. By 1955,
the William L. Bonnell Company emerged
after he bought out the patents and trade-
marks affiliated with Trimedge. He went on
to expand plant operations in Georgia and
a sales force that penetrated into every cor-
ner of America. William Bonnell died in
1960, but the practices and processes that
drove his business to become such a signifi-
cant player in the industry have never ceased.
The company continued to thrive as a wholly
owned subsidiary of Ethyl Corporation in
1965. Ethyl opened the Tennessee facility in