activarcorporate history

Hiawatha was founded in 1954 and known for their line of architectural door hardware including kickplates, door pulls and push bars, door stops, flush bolts, and door coordinators.

In 1962, Native villages began to band together, creating the Tundra Times to voice its concerns and filing administrative protests against State land selections.

Since 1965, Air Louvers operated a 50,000 square foot manufacturing facility for products including metal vision frames, louvers, and metal edges for doors.

1968 Discovery of large oil deposits at Prudhoe Bay; land claims must be settled before production can begin.

1969 Secretary Udall formalizes a “land freeze” to protect Native interests while Congress considers land claims.

Since 1970, Maxam Metal Products has been a trusted and reliable name in the construction industry.

On December 18, 1971, President Richard Nixon signed Public Law 92-203: The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

On October 4, 1976, President Gerald Ford signed legislation that ratified the Terms and Conditions for Land Consolidation and Management in the Cook Inlet Area.

Want to learn more about the history of OSMRE? Check out this digital campaign in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA).

In 1978, Activar, Incorporated was formed, and JL Industries, Inc. was acquired.

In 1981, Hiawatha, Inc. of Bloomington Minnesota was acquired.

1983 Legislation allows for CIRI’s out-of-region entitlements in Alaska to be converted to federal property selections outside of the state.

Activar continued growing its offerings of fire protection equipment, access panels and roof hatches with the acquisition of Samson Products of Los Angeles CA in 1984, providing increased manufacturing capabilities and access to the west coast market.

With the acquisition Air Louvers, Inc. in 1991, located in Los Angeles, the range of construction product offerings was expanded even further.

In 1996, Activar added a state-of-the-art aluminum cabinet fabrication and distribution facility in Fort Myers Florida with the acquisition of Thomas Enterprises.

The events of September 11, 2001 demonstrated NORAD’s continued relevance to North American security.

The May 2006 NORAD Agreement renewal added a maritime warning mission, which entails a shared awareness and understanding of the activities conducted in United States and Canadian maritime approaches, maritime areas and inland waterways.

2013 12(b) land selections finalized, conveying more than 230,000 acres to six Cook Inlet village corporations.

Click here for a Chronology of NORAD History as of May 2016

With the addition of Maxam Metal Products in 2020, many new lines of fire-rated access panels including the largest tested sizes in the industry became available along with up to 4 hour fire-rated floor doors.

Dur-Red Products joined the Activar Construction Products Group family in 2021 and brings industry-leading lines of roof accessories including smoke vents, equipment hatches, skylights and roof hatches.