Mechanical Rubber acquires Durox in Ohio

WARWICK, N.Y.—Mechanical Rubber, a supplier of custom rubber and plastics products for the aerospace, defense, health care, transit and commercial industries, has acquired Durox Co. in Strongsville, Ohio, a company formerly owned by Pittsburgh-based Wabtec Corp.

The acquisition gives Mechanical Rubber a stronger presence in the locomotive industry, as Durox produces gaskets, rubber seals, extrusions and other components for diesel engines.

Mechanical Rubber now has offices and manufacturing facilities in New York and Ohio, as well as Richmond, Calif. The company, earlier this year, emphasized its desire to improve service to customers on the West Coast, and opened offices in Richmond. It plans to add manufacturing there soon.

Terms of the Durox deal, now known as Mechanical Rubber Ohio, were not disclosed.

"The acquisition was completed shortly before the COVID-19 virus started to spread in the U.S.," Cedric Glasper, CEO of Mechanical Rubber, said in an April 21 news release. "While we've been working on transitioning the company from its corporate parent to the Mechanical Rubber family, we've been unsure whether to share our good news.

"But there has been so much bad news and economic uncertainty, we decided to look to the future and share our exciting new opportunity."

With this purchase, Mechanical Rubber Ohio will continue to serve rail and transit markets across the globe, producing short run extrusions and large sealing jobs, such as glazing profiles. Other existing markets for the former Durox include energy, HVACR, heavy duty trucks and off-road vehicles.

"It is business as usual at Mechanical Rubber Ohio," Glasper said. "As an essential critical manufacturer, we are able to continue working in our Ohio location, as well as in New York and California. Of course, in compliance with local and federal regulations, some of our staff are working from home and those critical to production are implementing guidelines as established by the CDC."

Orders for Mechanical Rubber Ohio will be handled through Mechanical Rubber's Warwick, N.Y., headquarters, the company said.

"There have been some challenges in this transition," Glasper said. "But I see it as an educational opportunity for both locations, as well as myself. We've added staff at our headquarters to handle the additional workload and will be hiring more staff in Ohio as well."

Mechanical Rubber opened in 1941 at its New York location.