Ohio warehouse is right for RM Biltrite

COLUMBUS, Ohio—A Georgia-based rubber sheeting manufacturer is investing in a new manufacturing plant and distribution center in Columbus, where it will consolidate a number of its operations as part of a multi-million dollar investment.

RM Biltrite L.L.C., of Sandy Springs, Ga., will renovate a vacant warehouse in Columbus, where it will manufacture its products and distribute imported materials for its worldwide clients. The warehouse is expected to open this summer, and 40-50 new employees will be hired. Positions will include managers, technicians, machine operators, logistics employees and warehouse staff, along with other skilled workers, said Nate Robbins, the company's executive vice president of sales and marketing.

Local media reports in Columbus estimate RM Biltrite's investment at $11.5 million, between real estate and industrial equipment. Although Robbins would not disclose an exact number, he did confirm that the property will include the renovation of an existing structure that ultimately will be about 180,000 square feet.

The center will be used to consolidate current operations from three other owned or leased sites in the Chicago and Boston metro areas, along with a site in Kentucky.

RM Biltrite distributes thermoplastic rubber, industrial sheet rubber, mining and aggregate rubber, masticated rubber, transit flooring and anti-skid flooring, among other products. The company produces thermoplastic sheeting, while all rubber products it markets are imported.

The company first was established by CEO Philip Franklyn in 1987 as a manufacturer of horse trailers.

The equine or agricultural market remains one of the company's largest industries, but over the years it has expanded to serve clients in defense and military, electrical production, automotive, industrial applications, mining and public transit.

During that time, the company distributed industrial rubber products from manufacturers in Asia. In early 2018, Franklyn's company purchased the thermoplastic division of the Boston-based Biltrite Corp., and the company was given its current name.

"We still have a very strong business in barn flooring and wall liners in the agricultural industry for equines and the dairy business," Robbins said. "That business isn't going anywhere. But with this new consolidation, we will continue to expand our offerings."

Expanded product lines include thermoplastics, commercial roofing and walkways, and even military electric-grade materials for the U.S. Navy, he said.

Columbus was determined to be an ideal location for the consolidation, and Robbins said the move will save the company on shipping, transportation and other costs. He called central Ohio a "melting pot" for small- to mid-sized plastics and rubber manufacturers.

RM Biltrite has worked with local economic funding organizations such as Jobs Ohio and One Columbus while working out details of the move.

"It's a great location where we can serve customers in all three of our core areas," Robbins said, referencing equine products, industrial rubber and industrial plastics. "This is a multi-million dollar investment in manufacturing and distribution."

That location also will be where RM Biltrite offers injection molding services in the coming months, Robbins said. He called it a "learned response" to manufacturing, and said this work will begin once sheeting is set. The company also has invested in equipment for water jet laser cutting.

The Columbus facility also will benefit customers looking to secure manufactured end products in the U.S., Robbins said.

"We're not investing this much money without making a concerted effort to ramp up our production and our (sales)," he said.

He said RM Biltrite has seen revenues double in just the last seven years, as employment has grown to about 75. Expanding its state-of-the-art offerings will allow the company to compete for new business and keep those revenues rising, although Robbins said it will be difficult to double revenues again in the next seven years.

"The size, speed and efficiency of our new equipment will allow us to more (effectively) compete in a way that leaves room open for further growth," Robbins said.

In the meantime, RM Biltrite will attend industry trade shows like MINExpo International, and participate in trade groups like the Gasket Fabricators Association, as a way to further build its brand and strengthen connections.

RM Biltrite will continue to maintain offices in Atlanta, Kentucky, China, the Netherlands, India and Thailand. In addition to its new main distribution center in Columbus, RM Biltrite uses seven other third-party logistic distribution centers throughout the U.S.