The WEST SYSTEM Story or how the Gougeon Brothers became epoxy pioneers
The WEST SYSTEM brand is part of Gougeon Brothers Inc., the company of brothers Meade and Jan Gougeon, based in Bay City on the shores of the Saginaw River in Michigan, USA. There, in 1969, the brothers opened a shop for self-designed sailboats made of lightweight wood-epoxy composites. The demand for their epoxy was enormous, resulting in them selling their WEST SYSTEM epoxy to other boat builders and individuals who built or repaired their own boats. Meade and Jan have been pioneers in epoxy composite boat building for decades. Since the introduction of WEST SYSTEM Epoxy, they have been known worldwide for their consistently high-quality epoxy products. Skills and knowledge gained through years of racing, boatbuilding and scientific research have put WEST SYSTEM at the forefront of epoxy composite technology. Leading boat builders rely on WEST SYSTEM for epoxy composite construction.