Ace adds to capabilities with GEOAnalytical purchase

RAVENNA, Ohio—GEOAnalytical Inc. will transition from one Northeastern Ohio town to another after Ace Products & Consulting L.L.C. acquired the Twinsburg, Ohio-based soil and groundwater testing firm Aug. 3.

According to Erick Sharp, president and CEO of Ace, a rubber and silicone testing company that also offers R&D, industry seminars and classes, it was more than a geographic commonality that drew Ace to GEOAnalytical. The firms share a similar history, equipment and a culture that prides itself on communication and customer turnaround time.

Terms of the transaction between the two privately owned companies were not disclosed.

"Obviously this is a good fit—whether it's equipment, testing or culture," Sharp said. "On the market side we wanted to find some diversification. The pandemic really showed how quickly one market can be hit, and this really expands our breadth of offerings. The cherry on top is diversification and now we can check that box, as well."

GEOAnalytical will bring three employees to the 12 employed by Ace in Ravenna, increasing Ace's work force by 20 percent. GEOAnalytical had five employees but two recently retired.

GEOAnalytical also is expected to increase revenue for Ace by about 30 percent on the environmental testing side alone, Sharp said.

Sharp said Ace will play a wait-and-see game for about a month with its operations and changing roles, then determine how many employees might be needed in the future.

Tom Morsefield, president and owner of GEOAnalytical, said Ace shares the same values for service and customer support.

"The decision to join Ace was a simple one since we share the same values, which are to provide excellent customer service, a focus on data integrity, consistency in turnaround, and staying responsive to the needs of our clients," Morsefield said. "With the additional resources that Ace can provide, GEOAnalytical will be able to grow and improve its level of service by developing additional analytical capabilities and more fully assisting with Ace's ongoing and changing project requirements."

Sharp noted that at the federal level, the EPA has "really been all over the place" with its regulations, and GEOAnalytical is an EPA-certified company that knows the ropes. GEOAnalytical was a key player in 1994 in establishing the rules for the Ohio Voluntary Action Program, which offers an avenue to investigate possible environmental contamination and clean it up without punitive repercussions.

"I do see potential for stabilizing there," Sharp said. "Construction remains strong, infrastructure remains strong and there continues to be a need for Phase I analysis in soil and ground water. This is a good market to be going into."

While Ace will look to leverage GEOAnalytical's capabilities in the soil and groundwater testing arenas, GEOAnalytical will look to use Ace's experience in rubber and silicone testing as well as Ace's methods for fast, accurate turnaround time.

Soil and groundwater testing customers value turnaround times for testing, much like rubber and silicone testing customers do, Sharp said.

"This is an advantage," he said. "If we are going to benefit from diversification, they can benefit from the service that we have perfected."

Many of GEOAnalytical's clients are environmental consultants working on a build site or construction project, according to GEOAnalytical.

Consultants typically are called out for on-site analysis, extracting core depth samples or doing other related testing in metals and contaminants, then partner with a lab like GEOAnalytical for further analysis, Sharp said.

About 90 percent of the equipment at Ace—both the lab testing machines brought by GEOAnalytical and the testing equipment already on site at Ace—will be compatible to both firms.

"A lot of the synergies were with the testing equipment," Sharp said. "About 90 percent have crossover into testing in our industry as well. This will support core Ace businesses and provide a diversification on end markets."

Ace, which does both physical and analytical rubber and silicone testing in the auto, aerospace, consumer goods, tire, and wire and cable industries, was founded by Sharp in 2014. Ace began in a 2,000-sq.-ft. facility in Akron, and quickly found clients who were eager to use Ace's basic testing and research and development platforms.

Within two years, Ace expanded to its current 22,000-sq.-ft. operation in Ravenna, evolving from a small company to a world-class laboratory.

Physical testing allows the company to analyze the mechanical properties of a sample, data that is crucial for product performance and quality control. Physical testing capabilities at Ace include testing for abrasion, DMA, RPA, tension, electrical, heat aging, specific gravity and more.

Analytical testing focuses on the chemical makeup and characteristics of a given polymer sample, Sharp said. This type of testing uses thermo-analytical analysis, microscopy, spectroscopy, HPLC, scanning electron microscopes, X-ray fluorescence and other processes.

One final synergy between Ace and GEOAnalytical drew the two companies together: the relationship between Sharp and Morsefield.

Sharp said he met Morsefield through Morsefield's wife, Becky, a special education teacher at Kent State University, where Sharp's wife also teaches. Sharp and his wife have a child with autism, and their family volunteered to be part of a case study through Becky's curriculum. Tom and Becky also have a child with special needs, Sharp said.

"I always joke with Tom that he is living my life 30 years from now," Sharp said. "Both of our wives work at KSU. He opened an independent lab with industry-specific testing, and I opened an independent lab.

"He understands my life's dynamics and the balance it requires. Not only has he been a good friend, but also a mentor."

According to Sharp, Ace will continue to invest in GEOAnalytical to grow and expand its environmental analytical services.

GEOAnalytical began its move to Ravenna in July, and operations should be finalized this month.

"The service culture that Tom built at GEOAnalytical is a natural fit with Ace," Sharp said. "I have always believed that one of the most important factors when building or expanding a testing facility is that you have the right people on your team. It's obvious to me that Tom shares that same vision."