Linetec was founded in 1983, by its parent company Apogee Enterprises Inc. Apogee's companies specialize in glass, coatings and architectural products, so establishing a finishing company focused on architectural products was a natural fit.

The increasing demand by architects for windows of different colors spawned Linetec. As hardly anyone was specializing in coating architectural products, this was a niche waiting to be filled.

Linetec started in Wausau, Wisconsin in June of 1983 with a small facility and a single paint line. Scott Platta managed Linetec with 20 employees and a 40,000 square foot building capable of applying enamel, acrylic and Kynar paint finishes.

Linetec was only the second paint line in the U.S. to paint Kynar coatings in a single pass.