The hose industry enjoyed a particularly active 2019 with multiple companies either expanding their manufacturing networks or making acquisitions.
One of the biggest moves was Flexaust Co. Inc. adding a new hose production plant in Burlington, N.C., as part of the firm's strategic growth initiative. The company is leasing an existing 57,000-sq.-ft. factory with plans to invest $3 million during the next two years for new equipment and infrastructure upgrades. The firm plans to install five hose production lines and add 30 jobs within the next two years, with that figure reaching about 50 in five years. Production is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2020.
Flexaust also expanded in two other locations, opening up a 10,000-sq.-ft. expansion at its Amesbury, Mass., site to house additional production equipment, warehouse space and expand the facility's machine shop. It also began the process of adding 27,000 square feet of warehouse space at one of its three facilities in Warsaw, Ind.
Davlyn Group added onto the headquarters of its Davlyn Manufacturing Co. unit, also integrating that business with its Darco Southern operation. The firm added about 35,000 square feet to its Spring City, Pa., site, bringing its total size to more than 100,000 square feet. The company makes a variety of thermal protection products, many lined or coated with silicone.
Finally, ZYfire has put itself in position to set up manufacturing in the U.S. should the tariffs imposed on Chinese imports become too high. It currently operates out of a more than 1.6 million-sq.-ft. facility in Jiangsu, China, with 350 employees and 200 production lines focused on a variety of hose types. The firm said about 65 percent of its hose revenues are generated in the U.S. with the remainder spread across more than 60 countries/regions.
