Belt Power increases Pacific Northwest footprint with Blankenship acquisition

MARIETTA, Ga.—Belt Power L.L.C. once again has used the final quarter of a calendar year to add to its portfolio of belting businesses, this time acquiring Blankenship Belting in the Pacific Northwest.

Terms of the Oct. 30 acquisition were not disclosed.

"Joining forces with the Blankenship Belting team brings together two great companies with rich traditions and strong cultures focused on taking care of our employees and delivering world class service to customers," Belt Power CEO Don Heitmeier said. "Our companies share similar business approaches with minimal customer overlap, enabling us to accelerate the expansion of our national growth strategy during a very exciting time in our industry."

Blankenship Belting, based in Lakewood, Wash., had been a division of Blankenship Equipment Repair, based in King County, Wash.

The acquisition brings a large swath of the Pacific Northwest into geographic play for Belt Power, as Blankenship Belting (and Blankenship Equipment Repair) customers are located in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska.

Heitmeier said Blankenship Belting is "highly respected" with its range of lightweight belting products, serving the paper and packaging, food processing, material handling and general industrial markets.

The company started in 1990 and now offers processing equipment, pulleys, drum motors, hoses and tooling, in addition to standard, specialty and hygienic belting.

"We are excited about the next chapter of our rich legacy, providing our team with expanded opportunities and the ability to increase our capabilities to service our customers by joining forces with Belt Power," said Loretta Thompson, managing director of Blankenship Equipment.

The combination of Belt Power and Blankenship Belting provides a powerful platform, Heitmeier said.

Like many of Belt Power's acquisitions, the branding is expected to remain with Blankenship, since the company brings specific fabrication and technical sales knowledge to Belt Power.

Kevin Thompson has been hired as business unit leader to oversee Blankenship Belting and continue to expand the business under the Blankenship name.

"It is an honor to help execute Belt Power's West Coast expansion plans," Thompson said in an Oct. 30 release from Belt Power.

Denver-based Platte River Equity, which owns Belt Power, also welcomed the Blankenship team to the Belt Power organization.

"We are excited about the possibilities ahead and are committed to honoring the rich history between both Belt Power and Blankenship Belting," said Mark Brown, Platte River Equity managing director.

Belt Power acquired Greenwood, Ind.-based Dunham Rubber and Belting Corp. for an undisclosed amount in December 2022.

The acquisition of the 65-employee Dunham Rubber was finalized Dec. 29, 2022, according to Belt Power.

Dunham brought 40,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Greenwood, as well as 8,000 square feet in Shelbyville, Ind., and 12,000 square feet in Fort Wayne, Ind., into the fold for Belt Power.

Dunham has been in the lightweight belting space for more than five decades, offering a variety of products from its three locations.

The company typically serves the food processing, material handling, building products, pharmaceutical and general industrial markets.

While the branding is expected to transition to Belt Power, the acquired company will look to leverage Belt Power's fabrication and technical sales capabilities.

The acquisition increased Belt Power's product scope with the addition of hydraulic, industrial/sanitary, chemical hose and fittings, fabrication and installation capabilities.

Belt Power has maintained an aggressive acquisition stance in the lightweight belting market for the past several years.

With a total of more than 250 employees now, Belt Power distributes and fabricates belting and belting components for lightweight conveyor belts, equipment, accessories, rubber hose and gasket products.

The company has a significant presence in the Southeast U.S. after making acquisitions in that region over the past several years.

In addition to Blankenship Belting and Dunham Rubber to conclude the last two years, Belt Power in recent years has acquired Accurate Industrial Products L.L.C. of Imperial, Mo., a fabricator and distributor of lightweight belting components; Engineered Components Inc. of Ormond Beach, Fla., a distributor of material handling parts; Rubber Services Corp. of Denver, a distributor and fabricator of conveyor belts; and Regional Supply L.L.C. of Marietta, Ga.

And there are no plans for Belt Power to change its purchasing position, as the company told Rubber News last year that it plans to open new locations in the coming years in Springdale, Ark., Chicago and Memphis.

Heitmeier noted that the bolt-on acquisitions "bring companies together" with a "strong cultural fit that is focused on taking care of our employees."

In the short term, Belt Power will focus on its domestic footprint to service local, regional and national customers.

Long-term opportunities have Belt Power focused on expanding into Canada, Mexico and South America, Heitmeier said.

Belt Power now has more than 20 facilities located across the U.S.