Ric Dutton and some of his associates introduced chemically etched zinc to the Architectural Signage market in 1987. The idea behind the development of this product was to offer an alternative to the higher priced metals such as brass, bronze, copper and aluminum. Zinc has a similar color to aluminum so it became a natural substitute. Custom coatings ( transparent tints ) were developed to simulate Brass, Bronze and Copper. In January of 2000, Ric formed Dutton Architectural signage and added a stainless steel clear coat which has become the most popular finish.
In the early 1990’s the advent of ADA signage offered a great opportunity for the zinc product because of its durability and wide range of finishes. It has been recognized as one of the leading products on the market and is being specified for many market segments.
In November of 2011 the name of the company was changed to American Legacy Signage and continues to manufacture the line of Dutton Architectural Products.