Cortec® Corporation enters its 50th year of operation, marking five decades of pioneering Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitor (VpCI®) technology and environmentally responsible asset protection for global industry. The milestone was marked at the company’s 2026 World Sales Meeting, which brought together distributors from 28 countries. From its origins in a Minnesota garage in October 1977 to a distribution network spanning 113 countries today, Cortec® continues to lead the field under the direction of founder and CEO Boris Miksic, advancing corrosion engineering through ongoing technical innovation, sustainable product design, and global market expansion.
A Leader in Corrosion Inhibitor Technology:
Cortec’s spirit of innovation has been reflected by the collection of over 60 patents in five decades and has been recognized via major awards such as the NACE Fellow Award (2000), Frank Newman Speller Award (2004), and NACE Distinguished Organization Award (2004), given to Miksic and/or Cortec® by NACE International, the distinguished predecessor of AMPP (Association for Materials Protection and Performance).
A Leader in Sustainability:
Cortec’s innovation has walked hand-in-hand with a focus on developing corrosion solutions that are friendlier to users and the environment wherever possible. The company was able to bring protective coatings technology to unknown levels of corrosion inhibition for water-based systems, which are typically easier to work with and have lower VOCs than their oil- and solvent-based counterparts.
Recycling has been another key pillar of Cortec® sustainability. Since the 1990s, Cortec® has been finding ways to incorporate recycled content and “repro” back into VpCI® film while still delivering quality performance. Most recently, the corporation has instituted a minimum 20% recycled content into all VpCI®-126 films and bags to better accommodate international companies affected by recycled content mandates. Cortec® has also been a leader in developing biodegradable and/or compostable packaging materials for decades, introducing compostability into VpCI® film and VpCI® paper, as well as stretch films and shrink films, to broaden industrial consumer options. In the early 2010s, Cortec® became one of the first 500 companies to participate in the voluntary labeling initiative of the USDA BioPreferred® Program, eventually earning it the title of BioPreferred® Program Pioneer and launching it on a journey of ongoing expansion within its portfolio of USDA Certified Biobased Products.
Cortec® advanced to its third technology platform, biotechnology, with the acquisition of Bionetix® International in 2010 and continues to see exciting growth in this field at a time when nature-based solutions for waste handling and environmental cleanup are especially critical.
A Leader in Global Engagement:
Since its founding, Cortec® has driven international trade and economic growth, building a distribution network that spans 113 countries today. In the early 2000s, founder Boris Miksic invested in his home country of Croatia while expanding European operations. Today, Cortec operates across four countries on three continents, supporting global distributors, protecting assets against corrosion 24/7, and participating in key international trade events like the recent Croatia–US Economic Forum in New York.
A Wide-Open Field for Corrosion Prevention:
The last five decades have proven that Cortec® has the innovation, excellence, and resilience to stand the test of time and continue strong forward movement as it delivers practical corrosion solutions trusted in countless industries across the globe. This establishes a strong foundation on which Cortec® and its invaluable distributors can build to new heights of discovery and effectiveness in the next 50 years. The field is wide open to those with a spirit of innovation and an aspiration for excellence.
