Belt Power adds Reliable Rubber, its third bolt-on in last year

MARIETTA, Ga.—Small- and mid-sized fabricators and distributors of lightweight belting products are finding a new home under the auspices of Belt Power L.L.C.

On the heels of its Oct. 30 acquisition of Blankenship Belting in the Pacific Northwest, Belt Power has purchased Reliable Rubber Inc. of Romeoville, Ill., just outside Chicago.

Terms of the acquisition, Belt Power's third in the last year alone, were not disclosed.

"Joining forces with the Reliable Rubber team allows us to build on their longstanding customer relationships while leveraging the significant investments we made in Chicago around inventory, state-of-the-art fabrication equipment and installation capabilities," said Belt Power CEO Don Heitmeier. "These capabilities, along with our shared values to take care of our employees, are focused on exceeding our customers' expectations."

Like the Lakewood, Wash.-based Blankenship purchase, Reliable Rubber increases Belt Power's footprint in a specific geographic area, in this case the Midwest.

The second-generation belting and component firm has been in business for more than 45 years and specializes in the distribution and fabrication of conveyor belting, hose, industrial rubber and urethane products. The company provides its lightweight belting products and services to customers across the Midwest.

Conversely, Reliable Rubber will leverage Belt Power's expanding footprint, fabrication capabilities and technical sales organization.

"At Reliable Rubber, we have spent the last 45 years serving our customers with the highest level of technical expertise and customer service," said Jon Cielinski, president of Reliable Rubber.

Cielinski's father, Joseph Cielinski, founded the company in 1978.

"We are excited to leverage the extensive capabilities available through Belt Power to continue to grow and support our customers. We have known the Belt Power team for quite some time and look forward to our partnership with them," Jon Cielinski said.

Platte River Equity, owner of Belt Power, said the bolt-on acquisition is Belt Power's third since the private equity firm took over in 2022.

"The acquisition of Reliable Rubber represents our third add-on since our investment in Belt Power last year," said Tarun Kanthety, vice president of Platte River Equity. "We are excited about the partnership and believe this acquisition will accelerate Belt Power's capabilities and market reach in the Chicago area, a key growth market for the company."

Belt Power's Oct. 30 acquisition, Blankenship Belting, had been a division of Blankenship Equipment Repair, based in King County, Wash.

That acquisition brought a swath of the Pacific Northwest into 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 also is "highly respected" with its range of lightweight belting products, serving the paper and packaging, food processing, material handling and general industrial markets.

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

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 Reliable Rubber and Blankenship Belting, Belt Power in recent years has acquired Dunham Rubber and Belting Corp.; 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., 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.

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