Fairprene know-how drives recent Trelleborg expansions

RUTHERFORDTON, N.C.—Trelleborg Engineered Coated Fabrics has significantly increased its capabilities and expanded its geographic reach in the last year, thanks primarily to recent acquisitions.

Equally important, it also has expanded organically, chiefly because of the continued development of its calendered product line that traces its roots back to a 2002 purchase of formulations and related know-how from Fairprene Inc.

The coated fabrics firm—which falls under Trelleborg Coated Systems, one of five business areas within Sweden-based Trelleborg A.B.—expanded most recently by adding Laminating Coating Technologies Inc. (Lamcotec) and Dartex Holdings Ltd. to its operations. Laminating Coating Technologies was acquired by Trelleborg A.B. on July 1 while Dartex Holdings was bought by the company in February.

Headquartered in Monson, Mass., Lamcotec manufactures polyurethane coated and laminated fabrics mainly used in the aerospace industry and the health care and medical sector.

Dartex, based in Long Eaton, England, broadens Trelleborg's engineered coated fabrics product line, the company said. With production plants in Long Eaton and North Smithfield, R.I., Dartex produces coated fabrics for the health care and medical markets.

Dario Porta, president of Trelleborg Coated Systems, said the addition of Lamcotec "complements us and fits in well with our strategy" to strengthen the company's position in attractive market segments.

"Polyurethane coated fabrics have development and expansion potential in several segments, niches and geographies," he said.

Porta said the Dartex acquisition strengthens Trelleborg's position in the health care and medical segment, "which is a growing industry for us. We are capable of offering our customers even more engineered solutions and, not least, a greater geographic reach."

Meanwhile, Trelleborg Engineered Coated Fabrics has continued to gain new ground with the development of numerous calendered products using the original specifications and formulations of the company's Fairprene materials.

In 2002, Trelleborg purchased all trade secrets, proprietary information, inventions, formulations, know-how, processing and testing information from Fairprene Inc. for its rubber calendered sheet goods and coated fabrics products lines.

It expanded its Fairprene base in 2006 when the company bought Reeves Brothers Inc., which had purchased the Fairprene rubber calendered sheet goods and coated fabrics product line in 2002 and Lloyd Rubber in 2004.

"We have been producing materials per these (Fairprene) formulations and technologies in our Rutherfordton facility since the purchase" in 2002, according to Steve Brockman, general manager of Trelleborg Engineered Coated Fabrics. "We also acquired custom manufacturing equipment that is still in use today."

Trelleborg did not acquire nor does it own the name or the trademark Fairprene. In January, Alpha Engineered Composites L.L.C. purchased the Fairprene brand name and owns the trademark.

Brockman said that Trelleborg Engineered Coated Fabrics—headquartered in Trelleborg, Sweden, with a large presence in the U.S.—does not manufacture materials or license formulations to any other coated fabric manufacturer.

"We typically contribute early in the supply chain providing specified materials to the market through fabricators and/or distributors," he said.

Brockman noted that, "as with most highly engineered materials, our products undergo extensive qualification and end application testing and verification.

"When other companies market their products as 'equivalent or comparable' to materials we have been supplying the market for decades, it is generally advisable that those products undergo stringent and long-term end use application testing and a comprehensive requalification due diligence process."

Trelleborg Engineered Coated Fabrics continuously expands its polymer chemistries and material substrates "to provide innovative solutions that accelerate performance for our customers in a sustainable way," according to Brockman.

Operating out of four manufacturing locations in the U.S. as well as plants in Sweden, Italy, the U.K. and China, "we continue to enhance product development capabilities at all manufacturing locations," he said. "We have invested in Rapid Prototype Centers in Rutherfordton and Trelleborg, Sweden. We promote an innovative culture and attitude.

"We think differently and strive to apply creativity and problem solving to everything we do. Innovation is a key driver of our growth."