Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This policy applies to all personal information collected through our website, in person at our facility, over the phone, or through email. It does not apply to information collected by third-party sites we link to, including freight carriers, payment processors, or powder manufacturers.

We are based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, and operate primarily within the United States. If you access our site from outside the United States, you do so at your own risk and are responsible for compliance with local laws.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

2.1 Information you provide directly

• Quote requests: name, company name, email, phone number, project details, parts drawings, and any files you upload.
• Job applications: name, contact information, employment history, resume, references, and any information in your cover letter or application message.
• General inquiries: name, email, phone, and the content of your message.
• Business transactions: billing address, shipping address, purchase order details, and payment information when applicable.

2.2 Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information, including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages viewed, and time spent on each page. We collect this through cookies and similar technologies. See our Cookie Policy for details.

2.3 Information from third parties

We may receive information about you from freight carriers, payment processors, business partners you've authorized to share it, and publicly available sources such as business registries or corporate websites.

3. How We Use Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide our services: preparing quotes, scheduling jobs, coating parts, shipping orders, and issuing invoices.
• To communicate with you: responding to quote requests, answering questions, providing project updates, and following up on completed work.
• To evaluate job applications: reviewing qualifications, scheduling interviews, and making hiring decisions.
• To operate and improve the website: understanding how visitors use the site, diagnosing technical issues, and improving content and navigation.
• To comply with legal obligations: maintaining records required by tax, employment, safety, and environmental regulations.
• To protect our rights: detecting and preventing fraud, enforcing agreements, and defending against legal claims.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties, and we do not use your information for targeted advertising to unrelated audiences.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Where required by law, we process personal information on the following legal bases:

• Contract: when processing is necessary to fulfill a quote, order, employment agreement, or other contract with you.
• Legitimate interest: when processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as operating the website, preventing fraud, or improving our services, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation: when processing is necessary to comply with applicable law.
• Consent: when you have given us explicit consent to process information for a specific purpose, such as subscribing to a newsletter. You can withdraw consent at any time.

5. Sharing & Disclosure

We share personal information only in the limited circumstances below:

5.1 Service providers

We use third-party service providers to help us operate our business, including freight carriers, accounting software, payment processors, email hosting, and website hosting. These providers receive only the information they need to perform their service and are contractually required to protect it.

5.2 Legal requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, subpoena, court order, or government request, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

5.3 Business transfers

If Northline Coating is acquired, merged, or otherwise transfers all or part of its business, customer information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify affected customers before any such transfer and inform them of any change to this policy.

5.4 With your consent

We may share information for other purposes when you give us explicit permission.

We do not sell personal information. We do not share personal information with advertisers.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, subject to the following minimum retention periods:

• Job applications: 12 months, or longer if you ask us to keep them on file.
• Quote requests: 24 months from the date of the request.
• Customer transaction records: 7 years, as required by tax and accounting regulations.
• Job documentation and certificates of conformance: minimum 3 years for standard production; up to 20 years for architectural work with AAMA 2605 warranties.
• Website analytics data: 26 months.

After the applicable retention period, we securely delete or anonymize the information.

7. Security

We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, and destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS) between your browser and our website.
• Restricted access to personal information on a need-to-know basis.
• Password protection and multi-factor authentication for internal systems.
• Regular backups and disaster recovery procedures.
• Employee training on information handling and privacy.

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we use industry-standard safeguards, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you have reason to believe your interaction with us is no longer secure, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Restriction: request that we limit how we use your information.
• Portability: request that we provide your information in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Objection: object to processing based on legitimate interest.
• Withdrawal of consent: withdraw any consent you've previously given.

8.1 California residents

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights. We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA.

8.2 How to exercise your rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected] or call (616) 452-8817. We will respond to verified requests within 45 days, or as otherwise required by applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.

9. Cookies & Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate our website, remember your preferences, and analyze how visitors use the site. You can control cookies through your browser settings. For a full description of the cookies we use, see our Cookie Policy.

10. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16 years of age. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 16, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we have collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately.

11. Do Not Track

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal. Because there is no industry consensus on how to respond to DNT signals, our website does not currently respond to them. We do not track users across third-party websites for advertising purposes.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify affected customers by email.

We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us: