CINCINNATI — Pilot Chemical Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, marks its 65^th anniversary today. John Morrisroe founded the company on Sept. 19, 1952, in Santa Fe Springs, California. Morrisroe began the company with his patent for a process called ice-cold sulfonation, which resulted in higher quality products.

From Santa Fe Springs, the company first expanded to Lockland, Ohio, in 1963;  Avenel, New Jersey, in 1968; Houston, Texas, in 1973; and Middletown, Ohio, in 1985. The company headquarters were originally in Santa Fe Springs but were relocated to Cincinnati in 2005.