Mechanical Rubber eyes California production plant

WARWICK, N.Y.—"Service is king" is a mantra by which just about any successful company can be measured, said Mechanical Rubber CEO Cedric Glasper.

With that focus in mind, the East Coast manufacturer of custom rubber and plastics products for the aerospace, military defense, transit and industrial markets is heading west, looking to establish a manufacturing facility in central California.

The company recently set up an office in Richmond, Calif., and the manufacturing plant is expected to be built in "the next 18 months" in the same region, though whether it also will be located in Richmond is not yet known, Glasper said.

"That's what Jeff Bezos proved, didn't he?" Glasper said of the Amazon CEO and aerospace entrepreneur. "That service is king? Anyone can make a widget, but not everyone can deliver service."

Mechanical Rubber's West Coast footprint, Glasper said, will allow the company to be on-site for follow-up meetings and immediate quality control, trouble shooting and technical assistance for its customers.

"Our goal is to have a footprint on both coasts, to be able to service our customer base better—and even add to it if possible," Glasper said. "The irony is we already have an active presence on the West Coast. But it's that old adage: the customer wants their supplier next door to them.

"This allows us to service our customers on the West Coast, East Coast and everywhere in between."

Glasper said there always is a market share to be had in a new area, especially in a growing state like California. Whether customers in the aerospace and transit sectors will come on board with Mechanical Rubber remains to be seen, Glasper said.

Mechanical Rubber, which produces aluminum alloys, thermosets and thermoplastics, already boasts contracts with such global companies as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Airbus, Northrop, Bombardier and Learjet, among others.

And with Boeing based in Seattle, Lockheed Martin with headquarters in Palmdale, Calif., and numerous military bases throughout the state and region, Mechanical Rubber's West Coast future looks bright.

"California has one of the largest economies in the world," Glasper said. "They have a lot going on. They are one of the most innovative places in the country, if not in the world, and there is a lot of aerospace and defense, and transit, including truck, bus and commercial."

But while California may benefit manufacturers with its innovation, the state maintains a finicky reputation with its taxation, cost of living, and strict environmental and recycling regulations.

"A lot of companies are afraid of establishing a presence in California, people who have felt a fear of the unknown for a long time," Glasper said. "But there are a lot of people and quite a few customers there. And we have felt for awhile now that we should be there with our customers."

Glasper said he expects production at the planned Richmond facility to be similar in nature to production in New York, specifically putting to use its many industry and government certifications in aerospace and defense manufacturing.

Currently, Mechanical Rubber's defense contracts include seal and gasket production, sound dampening equipment and sheet fabrication for the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, as well as the Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy lift and transport helicopter, both of which are flown by the U.S. Army.

In addition, the company that began in 1941 recently was chosen as a supplier for mounting pads for the International Space Station, after NASA engineers discovered a Mechanical Rubber compound that met their strict requirements for space applications.

And historically, Mechanical Rubber played a small part in NASA's iconic Apollo 11 moon landing mission in July 1969, supplying a high pressure window gasket for the Lunar Excursion Module, according to the company.

"Historically, our work has been in aircraft," Glasper said. "It's a growing market today, and it's a rubber world for us right now in that industry. Part of the push is to get more into milled machine parts, but we are definitely working in seals with windows and doors, gaskets, sheeting and sound dampening."

Glasper said the company also has contracted with Elon Musk's SpaceX.

"We've been in that game as well, and those kinds of companies know we exist," Glasper said. "They are finding us, but this on-site presence will allow for engineering and specific follow-up visits from our engineers. We want to continually increase our partnerships. We are asked all the time: 'Can you do this? Can you do that?'

"That's where growth comes from, and we are not restricted to just rubber. There are even times when we have just consulted."

And while being on-site for manufacturing, quality control, trouble shooting and technical support are important, maintaining a regional supply presence also should reduce freight costs, Glasper said.

"Another scare for suppliers is the freight cost from going cross-country," Glasper said. "A footprint in California eliminates that challenge."

Glasper said he is excited to see Mechanical Rubber's West Coast expansion come to fruition after being in the works for so long.

"Making the move now was the next logical step in our growth strategy," he said. "We are in rubber and plastics, and rubber is a perceived dinosaur.

"It's also a necessary evil for right now. It comes down to supply and demand—you can change formulations, you can go offshore to cut costs, but at the end of the day everyone wants a quality product, a quality service. We are very excited for the future of Mechanical Rubber."