Hose and belt sees stable year, but with a few twists

This was a year of stabilization throughout the hose and belt segment of the rubber industry. Following a 2023 full of growth, mergers and corporate restructuring, the industry evened out and stabilized.

But still, every year includes a few big moves that could reshape the industry sooner, rather than later. Sometimes, the dominoes just take a little bit longer to fall.

Here's a look at six of the biggest stories in the hose and belt sector from this year from big investments to OSHA fines and everything in between.

Continental A.G. had a massive year. And perhaps the largest move of all was its introduction of Conti+ 2.0, an upgrade on its original Conti+ digital platform.

First announced in 2022, the app-based conveyor belt system solution platform fully centralized data for end users.

David Almanza, product manager for the Americas region at ContiTech digital solutions, said the Conti+ 2.0 project not only builds on, but starkly improves the services offered by the original Conti+.

"The system can help with many things," Almanza told Rubber News. "It assists how users select products by using the management tool. They would start implementing Conti+ when the conveyance system is installed—all of the idlers, pulleys. ... They will have data on all that."

The German company's heavy duty belt manufacturing plant in Ponta Grossa, Brazil, also received a major expansion this year, to the tune of 75,000 square feet. Andreas Gerstenberger, head of business area Industrial Solutions Americas at ContiTech, said that the project could triple the plant's current production.

"With the expansion of our plant's capacity in Ponta Grossa, we are raising the standards in the production of the world's most durable belts," Gerstenberger said. "Our goal is to double or even triple our production over the next few years, and by producing heavy duty steel cord conveyor belts in Brazil, we'll be able to shorten product shipping timelines."

Joe Kochan took over as CEO of La Porte, Ind.-based hose firm NRP-Jones in November 2023. Just under a year into his tenure, Kochan took the stage at the Rubber News Hose and Belt Conference Oct. 1, announcing that the company would be undergoing a transition period in the future.

The firm, Kochan said, is poised to see "a tremendous amount of change" in 2024 and beyond. The shift would point the company firmly toward the future, presenting changes in both business strategy and aesthetics.

"You will see a new website, with a logo that you can actually see," he said. "We are investing in equipment and processes, working on moving the company forward."

Curiosity has driven consistent growth throughout the lifespan of NRP-Jones, and that mantra has become especially true under Kochan's leadership. Having worked in a number of sectors throughout the automotive and rubber industries, Kochan's constant desire to learn more helped shape his leadership style as CEO.

"I grew up on the shop floor," Kochan said at the conference. "I've worked in automotive, marketing, heavy truck and industrial for most of my career, and I've been fortunate to have moved into some leadership positions.

"I have done this by learning through curiosity, a word that I have been using more and more, especially in this business."

Kyoyul Oh, vice president and general manager of power transmission and fluid power products at Ammega Group, said that Jason Industrial can and should stand out. As the hose market continues to grow, Oh and Ammega officials are making sure that Jason becomes a premier name for fluid power and conveyance solutions.

After making some business gains during the pandemic thanks to solid delivery standards, Jason Industrial went to work in 2024. The company focused on taking a larger "share of wallet," gathering distributors of all sizes to source their needs from Jason Industrial more often.

"From an industry perspective this is a very common practice," said Jeff Pence, director of business development for the Megadyne and Jason businesses. "The products that we have are repair and maintenance products, so therefore when you need it, you must have it. We are in that business, so we are open to servicing our customers as they need, and we are positioning ourselves to be taking on that segment."

As Jason continues to make inroads throughout the market, Oh expects a strong 2025 following a promising year. Now connected to more businesses than ever, Oh said that Jason and Ammega at large hope to continue leveraging more products.

"Because we are able to move quickly with regards to our goods and money investments, we are able to be faster in being able to meet the demands and changing landscape of our business," Oh said.

On March 26, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed fining HBD/Thermoid Inc. $321,489 for alleged safety violations at its Bellefontaine, Ohio, plant. This marked the Dublin, Ohio-based company's eighth OSHA fine since 2013.

In total, the rubber hose and belting site was hit with 14 alleged violations—one willful, 11 serious and two other-than-serious. The March inspection was OSHA's second investigation of HBD/Thermoid in less than a year.

"The lack of safety procedures throughout the HBD/Thermoid plant and the company's inaction shows that they remain indifferent to their obligation to protect their employees," OSHA Area Director Todd Jensen said in March.

Jensen is based in Toledo, Ohio, and said that the company has "jeopardized its employees' well-being" for over a decade. The company's greatest infraction, worth $161,323, was listed as "willful-serious" by OSHA in its March 25 fine notification.

"One or more methods of machine guarding is not provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks," OSHA said in the notification.

HBD/Thermoid declined to comment on the Rubber News report on the fine, which was posted March 27.

Kuriyama may seem like a well-kept secret in the hose and accessories market. But if it keeps providing such a wide breadth of goods throughout the industry, the firm might not be a secret for much longer.

Based in Schaumburg, Ill., Kuriyama of America opened a new central distribution center in Huntley, Ill., in February. Brian Dutton, president of Kuriyama of America, said that the new 329,000-sq.-ft. facility has an outsized impact on the company's product footprint, nearly tripling it nationwide.

"A big part of the Kuriyama value is its breadth, bringing the convenience for our distribution base that they only have to go to one place to find everything—from high pressure, low pressure and everything in between, including assembly equipment," Dutton told Rubber News at the 2024 NAHAD Annual Convention.

The company also sports regional centers across the U.S. in New Jersey, Georgia, Houston and Reno, Nev., but the new Huntley center will be the crown jewel of its distribution model. The decision was made largely in the name of efficiency, Dutton said, tying the company's stateside operations together with a large space in the middle of the country.

"That warehouse not only services regional customers but also our four regional branches across the country, and we just simply needed more space, a bigger footprint, to be able to properly store, stage and ship products."

Belting, especially lightweight belting, has seen a renaissance throughout 2024. Ammeraal Beltech, a Netherlands-based producer of lightweight belting in Georgia and Pennsylvania, is helping lead the charge in the U.S.

Niels van den Boogert, vice president and general manager for conveying solutions at Ammega, said that food distribution, especially in the bakery and confectionery spaces, has been a huge driver in the U.S. He specifically cited Kellogg's, M&M and the Mars family as corporate customers for the belting company.

"Food service, distribution, warehousing and packaging ... all of these markets are booming. And there is huge demand at airports, which continue to grow at between 10 and 12 percent CAGR per year," van den Boogert told Rubber News.

Ammega added a second, 100,000-sq.-ft. facility in Reading, Pa., in 2021. In Georgia, the company released two new belt products this year for use in warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing plants, known as Ropanol EX and the Titanium belt.

Ammega also invested in EV belting in 2024, specifically centered in and around the vehicle battery space.

"We are booming in every major lightweight belting market," van den Boogert said. "We did hire a specialist to focus on the EV market today. We really want to study that market because we see big potential in and around batteries."