Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • European Rubber Journal
  • Plastics News
  • Tire Business
web
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Automotive
    • Tire
    • Non-Tire
    • Suppliers
    • Silicone
    • Latex
    • Coronavirus
    • Executive Action
    • Government/Legal
    • Opinion
    • Technical Notebooks
    • Women in Tire & Rubber
    • ITEC
    • International Elastomer Show
    • HEXPOL Sponsored Content
    • Trinseo taps K.D. Feddersen to supply soft-touch elastomers
      Goodyear promotes Chris Helsel, expanding his global technology, operational role
      Cooper expands recall of Cooper, Mastercraft grand-touring tires
      Conti to market contract custom mixing business
    • Conti recalling 94,000 LT/SUV tires
      Goodyear promotes Chris Helsel, expanding his global technology, operational role
      Cooper expands recall of Cooper, Mastercraft grand-touring tires
      Birla Carbon again recognized for sustainability efforts
    • ASC seeks presenters for fall convention
      Birla Carbon again recognized for sustainability efforts
      Carlisle TyrFil out with new recycling technology
      Cooper Standard ranked among 'World's Most Ethical Companies'
    • Trinseo taps K.D. Feddersen to supply soft-touch elastomers
      New products: MonTech offering customized bale cutters
      Synthomer dismisses takeover reports
      Zochem names Univar Solutions as ‘Distributor of Year'
    • Stockwell Elastomerics' legacy moves on
      Larger mixers tout economies of scale, along with the need for speed
      Hexpol, Bloom deal with COVID, reorganization, fire since start of 2020
      Small, mid-size compounders keep value, agility, service 'in the mix'
    • Ohio firm focuses on making better masks in U.S.
      U.S. to increase NBR, make gloves using Defense Production Act
      Tire Cologne canceled; rescheduled for 2022
      Tire Technology Expo canceled for 2021
    • Goodyear promotes Chris Helsel, expanding his global technology, operational role
      Stockwell Elastomerics' legacy moves on
      Dana Inc. hires Byron Foster in executive role
      Dana hires new senior vice president of global operations
    • Conti recalling 94,000 LT/SUV tires
      Cooper expands recall of Cooper, Mastercraft grand-touring tires
      ASC seeks presenters for fall convention
      VMI, Safe-Run differ over latest ruling in patent case
    • Column: Discussions of race, equality may mean uncomfortable moments
      Column: Business trips possible because of essential workers
      Editorial: Associations see opportunity for progress under new administration
      Editorial: Against a backdrop of turmoil, M&A deals give glimpse of normalcy
    • Studying RPA ASTM methods for detecting compound quality differences
      Damage mechanism in oil and gas formulations during downhole testing
      Advancements in synchronous drive belt design for industrial and consumer markets
      Effects of multiple repurposed materials for reinforcements of standard rubber compounds
    • Rubber Division introduces WORD webinar series
      WORD panelists say evolution, authenticity keys to success
      New video celebrates women in rubber industry
      ITEC panelists say women can thrive in tire industry
    • Goodyear recognized by Lockheed Martin as 'elite supplier'
      EV tire advancements to help secure future
      Lambillotte: Only question on AVs is timing
      CAR official says EV future brighter than autonomous
    • Rubber Division introduces WORD webinar series
      Rubber Division seeks abstracts for 200th Technical Meeting
      WORD panelists say evolution, authenticity keys to success
      IEC keynote: Communication key to logistics
    • Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Faster Access to Your Polymer Compounding Experts Around the World
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Take a walk thru a HEXPOL Lab
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      HEXPOL offers a unique selection of High Performance Elastomers to match your application requirements
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      It’s what you can’t see that makes the Difference at HEXPOL
  • Blogs
    • Products
    • Wacky World of Rubber
    • New Products: Starrett expands field-of-view for multi-sensor vision system
      New Products: Nova thinks outside the box with sealing tech
      New Products: MonTech introduces 1,500 kN lab press
      New products: 3M introduces new durable, pliable medical adhesive
    • Wacky World of Rubber: How Trelleborg, teens sealed a spot in the world record book
      Wacky World of Rubber: Of chicken and feet, but not chicken feet
      Wacky World of Rubber: Time to go mattress shopping
      Wacky World of Rubber: Because nothing says football like 'frunk' shrimp
  • Newsletters
    • Rubber in Automotive
    • Silicone News
    • Latex News
    • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Trinseo taps K.D. Feddersen to supply soft-touch elastomers
      Goodyear promotes Chris Helsel, expanding his global technology, operational role
      Cooper expands recall of Cooper, Mastercraft grand-touring tires
      Conti to market contract custom mixing business
    • Stockwell Elastomerics' legacy moves on
      Larger mixers tout economies of scale, along with the need for speed
      Hexpol, Bloom deal with COVID, reorganization, fire since start of 2020
      Small, mid-size compounders keep value, agility, service 'in the mix'
    • Sri Trang Gloves starts major capacity expansion
      Synthomer dismisses takeover reports
      Combined Goodyear-Cooper Tire company has tire tech, sustainability edge
      Helixtap launches new digital marketplace for rubber
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Directory
  • Resources
    • Classifieds & Mold Mart
    • Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Sponsored By HB Chemical
      Above and Beyond with HB Chemical
      Sponsored By HB Chemical
      The Company Behind the Inventory
      Sponsored By French Oil Mill Machinery
      Process Improvement, Cost Reduction with Custom Press Systems
      Sponsored By HB Chemical
      Above and Beyond with HB Chemical
    • Sponsored By Uncountable Inc.
      Labs of the Future: How to Choose a Laboratory Information Management System in 2021
      Sponsored By Uncountable Inc.
      Cooper Standard deploys lab informatics platform to synchronize R&D
      Sponsored By Elkem
      LSR Select™: A solution to improve your financial impact in molding applications
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Peroxide Cureable Silicone Injection Molding
  • Data
  • Events
    • RPN Events
    • RPN Livestreams/Webinars
    • Industry Events
    • Past Events
    • ITEC Library
    • International Silicone Conference Library
    • 2021 Healthcare Elastomers Virtual Edition
      2021 Rubber in Automotive Virtual Edition
      2021 International Latex Conference Virtual Edition
      2022 ITEC
  • Advertise
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
February 24, 2020 03:20 PM

Fenner, Fabri Cote flying high after acquisition

Andrew Schunk
Rubber & Plastics News Staff
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    MANHEIM, Pa.—In a move that Fenner Precision Polymers said will expand its reach in the coated textile market and aerospace industry, the company has acquired Los Angeles-based Fabri Cote.

    Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

    According to Fenner Managing Director Jack Krecek, all 25 employees of Fabri Cote will remain with Fenner Precision Polymers, which employs 800 across operations in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, the United Kingdom and Shanghai.

    Krecek said Fabri Cote offers an "innovative product line, strong technical design capabilities, and exceptional, long-term customer relationships."

    "A couple of things drew us to Fabri Cote and what it could offer," he said. "The primary reason was their industry experience and great customer relationships developed by the president, who is staying on.

    "For Fenner, there was a need to grow our capital. We can see Fabri Cote growing much faster than traditional markets, and this just made sense for us."

    Fabri Cote President Robert Bacall said his 50-year-old West Coast firm will lean on Fenner's global reach, varied technologies, depth of manufacturing and available growth space.

    "We are very excited about joining the Fenner and Michelin team and the tremendous resources they bring that will allow us to grow our current market share," Bacall said.

    The partnership will allow Fabri Cote, with its ISO:9001 and AS9100D QMS industry certifications, to gain traction in new markets such as the organic rubber-coated fabric space, Bacall said.

    "We have a tremendous coverage of the aerospace industry due to our 50 years in the rubber-coated fabrics business," he said. "Planned added capacity will allow us to pursue not only more business with existing customers, but new customers and applications as well. We enjoy solving problems for our customers so they can gain more business."

    Fenner will look to add some equipment at its Pennsylvania and now California locations, although there is little room for warehouse expansion at Fabri Cote's 35,000-sq.-ft. site in Los Angeles, near Alameda, Krecek said.

    "He is really cramped for space there," the Fenner executive said. "We can be a resource for him in this capacity."

    In turn, the acquisition allows Fenner access to Fabri Cote's knife- or blade-coating process, a way of applying an elastomer to a textile with a metered, angled blade that cuts excess coating to a fine measurement.

    "We already have a coated textile line in the U.K., but we run a calender there," Krecek said. "Here in Pennsylvania we do a dip process for coating textiles, and this (knife-coating) brings a third way of treating woven materials. Now we have all three ways covered."

    Bacall said knife-coating is used to fabricate parts for the aerospace industry because it allows for greater precision "for coating thinner thicknesses that is crucial for aerospace parts due to tight weight and thickness constraints."

    "One of our strengths is performing R&D work for smaller customers as well as much larger customers, who have worked on such high-profile projects as the Space Shuttle," he said.

    Although Fenner and Fabri Cote serve many similar industries, including belting (both transmission and conveyor), mass transit, automotive and construction, Fabri Cote gives Fenner a prominent footprint in both commercial and military aviation.

    "They certainly give us a greater exposure to aerospace, which is always a growing industry," Krecek said. "And we now have new customers there as well."

    Bacall said Fabri Cote's customers cover a wide range of products including hoses, ducting, gaskets, seals, insulation, and fire wall applications, among other coated textiles.

    "We can offer rubber-coated fabrics with excellent flame resistance, extreme high and low temperature resistance, and resistance to many fluids," Bacall said.

    Fabri Cote's customers include Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed, Northrup, Bombardier, Embraer and Gulfstream, according to Bacall.

    Krecek cited a unique silicone seal in commercial airliners that uses a Fabri Cote coated textile.

    "This is a critical component for use in -60 and -70 degree environments, in which the product finds itself at 35,000 feet," Krecek said. "Ever wonder how you keep the atmosphere outside and you inside? It's a silicone window seal."

    Krecek said market challenges moving forward include supply line concerns with the grounded Boeing 737 Max, after two deadly crashes that killed 346 people.

    Boeing has suspended production of the 737 Max and the airliner remains grounded around the world, although American Airlines has said it intends to resume flying the airplane in 2020.

    "The 737 Max thing is a challenge and has everybody wound up in the industry right now—that's a problem," Krecek said. "But the 737 Max (situation) is a lot of noise, really. It's definitely a problem for Boeing, but I don't think it's such a big problem for suppliers."

    According to Bacall, the 737 Max issues have impacted his customers.

    "We remain hopeful that Boeing will be able to resolve the issues in a timely manner," Bacall said. "We also look forward to the 777X airplane as we and many of our customers will be providing parts for that airplane as well."

    In addition, the availability of silicone always can affect industry suppliers, Krecek said.

    "It seems that is improving, however," Krecek said.

    Branding remains the same

    The branding between the two companies will not change, Krecek said, for the sake of consistency and well-established reputations.

    "They have some strong brand recognition in the industry and we are not going to touch that," Krecek said. "That's of value to us. Customers will be happy Fabri Cote now has more behind it—and all the customers with whom I've spoken are pleased to hear about the acquisition."

    Although Fabri Cote's West Coast location was not a driver of the transaction for Fenner, Krecek said, maintaining a presence on the other side of the country is beneficial.

    In the fabrics realm, Fabri Cote offers (but is not limited to) aluminized fiberglass; carbon; Corolon; cotton; fiberglass; Kevlar; Nextel; Nomex; nylon; polyester; quartz; and silica.

    And for elastomeric coating, Fabri Cote offers butyl; conductive silicone; EPDM; fluorosilicone; natural rubber; neoprene; nitrile; pressure sensitive adhesives; silicone; urethane; and Viton.

    "Fabri Cote has nearly 50 years of experience creating custom rubber-coated fabrics for a wide variety of customers," Bacall said. "We are excited about the new partnership with the Fenner family and the tremendous resources they bring."

    So how, in Fenner's world of belts, bushings, tensioners, sprockets, pulleys, power transmission and motion transfer equipment, does the acquisition of a coated textile company fit in with Fenner's portfolio?

    "It's all polymer-based, plastics and rubber," Krecek said. "It's the reason we are trying to put so much behind Fenner Precision Polymers and trying to grow."

    Krecek said Michelin's High Tech Materials Division—which owns Fenner Precision Polymers—became interested in Fabri Cote precisely because the smaller, well-established company functions in a non-tire realm.

    "For them it's a growing diversity away from tires," Krecek said. "They are really excited about the acquisition."

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Rubber & Plastics News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Rubber & Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe Today

    Subscribe to Rubber & Plastics News to get the best coverage and leading insights in the industry.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    MISSION

    To serve companies in the global rubber product industry by delivering news, industry insights, opinions and technical information.

    web
    Contact Us

    2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000
    Cuyahoga Falls,
    OH 44221

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1726

    Resources
    • About Us
    • Digital Edition
    • Contact the Staff
    • Advertise
    • Order Reprints
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Partner Sites
    • Tire Business
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Automotive News
    • Crain Brands
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Automotive
      • Tire
      • Non-Tire
      • Suppliers
      • Silicone
      • Latex
      • Coronavirus
      • Executive Action
      • Government/Legal
      • Opinion
      • Technical Notebooks
      • Women in Tire & Rubber
      • ITEC
      • International Elastomer Show
      • HEXPOL Sponsored Content
    • Blogs
      • Products
      • Wacky World of Rubber
    • Newsletters
      • Rubber in Automotive
      • Silicone News
      • Latex News
      • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Multimedia
      • Videos
      • Photo Galleries
    • Directory
    • Resources
      • Classifieds & Mold Mart
      • Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
    • Data
    • Events
      • RPN Events
      • RPN Livestreams/Webinars
      • Industry Events
      • Past Events
      • ITEC Library
      • International Silicone Conference Library
    • Advertise
    • DIGITAL EDITION