Metalex, a Jason Company, was founded in 1962 in Libertyville, Illinois by two local entrepreneurs. With diverse 
and complementary expertise in salesmanship and engineering, they grew their company with 
one machine in a small factory on the east edge of town. In 1979, Metalex moved into the current 
facility on the site of a former horse farm in south Libertyville.  Metalex continued to grow and 
added to the original building in 1983, increasing total square footage to 150,000 and  â€¨equipment totaling  twenty-three expandinglines,afull machine shop and a secondary processing 
department that includes shearing, stamping and plasma cutting. In 1993, Metalexwasacquired by Jason Incorporated, a global family of manufacturing companies with 34 locations in the U.S. and 12 foreign countries.  In 2005, Metalex acquired Arcor, a manufacturer of perforated metal and a variety of metal tubes primarily for the fluid filtration industry. The Arcor operation was moved into the Metalex facility and launched Metalex into a growth opportunity in perforated metal.  In 2011, Jason acquired Morton Manufacturing, the leading manufacturer of anti-slip walking surfaces for railcars, both for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket repairs customers. The company also supplies distributors, OEMs, and aftermarket customers in the agricultural, heavy equipment and general industrial space.  Morton has been providing customers with consistently superior products and excellent customer service since 1903 from the 200,000 square foot facility which is also located in Libertyville. Morton’s Open-Grip®, Deck Span®, and Tread-Grip® proprietary product designs provide non-slip surfaces that meet or exceed federal specifications for slip resistance.  In 2014, Metalex and Morton merged under the Metalex name.