Hentzen Coatings was chosen to research and develop a multifunctional aircraft protective coating for the United States Air Force. The Air Force Small Business Innovation Research Program is a mission-oriented program that integrates the needs and requirements of the Air Force through research and development topics that have military and commercial potential. Originally founded in 1923, Hentzen Coatings has grown from a small producer of industrial coatings into one of the largest and most successful independent paint companies in the United States.