Alpha adds Fairprene business

LAKEWOOD, N.J.—Alpha Engineered Composites L.L.C. has significantly expanded its rubber operation and the firm's product portfolio with the recent acquisition of the Fairprene business unit from Longwood Elastomers.

Ownership transferred from Virginia-based Longwood, a Wabtec company, to Alpha earlier this year.

Terms of the transaction were not released.

Alpha did not purchase Longwood's plants in Wytheville, Va., and Brenham, Texas, but the Lakewood-headquartered company did acquire both intangible and tangible assets germane to the Fairprene business unit, according to Alpha President Robert Antonius. Tangible assets included inventory and equipment.

In anticipation of adding the Fairprene product line to the company's portfolio, he said Alpha completely overhauled its current in-house rubber calendering capabilities at the Lakewood facility, and new calendering equipment with precision gauge controls was installed in late 2017.

Antonius said "the production-related machinery necessary for the Fairprene business unit dovetailed nicely into current operations."

Space for the acquired business was not an issue, he said. Alpha had an area available at the factory for the acquired business because a major expansion at the Lakewood plant was completed in 2008 to accommodate a transfer of the company's elastomer business from its plant in North Charleston, S.C. The firm picked up that elastomer business when it bought RM Engineered Products in 2001, and once that transfer was complete, the North Charleston facility was closed.

An established manufacturer of high performance fabrics and composites, Alpha has a global base and specializes in calendering and curing silicone, fluorosilicone, fluoroelastomer, HNBR and other high-performance elastomers.

It operates out of a single manufacturing facility in Lakewood and currently employs about 110. The firm's products are distributed worldwide from locations in Germany and China.

Fairprene products primarily are used in the valve and actuator markets, Antonius said, along with the automotive, fluid sealing, petrochemical and aerospace industries. The business is known for its technical niche in performance sheet stock, coated fabrics and specialty composites.

He said that Alpha acquired the Fairprene business unit because it recognized it had an opportunity "to breathe life into a highly regarded historic brand." Purchased in 1916 by Dupont, Fairprene developed niche rubber-based technical solutions for a variety of industrial uses.

"The brand has languished for years under different ownership and management scenarios," Antonius said. "Alpha Engineered Composites can return the brand to the original quality, service and innovation associated with the name Fairprene."

Adding the Fairprene business unit to its mix will enhance Alpha's "ever-growing rubber business and allow expansion into greater technical and innovative constructions," he noted. The new product line has an opportunity to grow with Alpha's broad base of customers for its FluoroSeal line of fluoroelastomer-based products.

Alpha currently employs personnel with direct knowledge and previous history with the Fairprene product line, dating back to when the business unit was a Dupont subsidiary, he said. The firm, however, may need additional employees to bolster the product line as it continues to grow.

"Distributors, fabricators and end users will benefit from Alpha's renewed focus, additional resources and advanced material competences in unique fabric substrates and proprietary rubber compounds," according to Christopher Avallone, CEO of Alpha, which is celebrating its 50th year as a manufacturer in 2018.

He said that in order to help customers build their businesses "with expanded solutions, services and support, the Fairprene business unit will be integrated into Alpha North America and operate within the Engineered Elastomers product line."

Alpha's acquisition of the Fairprene business has the potential to significantly expand the company's current operations in terms of footprint, personnel and sales, Antonius said.