New Berlin-based General Rubber Co. has been acquired by St. Paul, Minn.-based Minnesota Flexible Corporation.
Minnesota Flexible manufactures industrial hose, fittings and formed tube assemblies, while General Rubber is a distributor of hoses and accessories that are used in the hydraulic, air, water, welding, refrigeration and equipment markets.
GRC has its headquarters, fabrication shop and warehouse in New Berlin, as well as a similar facility in Appleton. The company’s facilities and nine employees will be retained in the transaction. MFC also plans to hire an undetermined number of additional employees at the GRC locations.
MFC has 60 employees and three other locations—in Grand Rapids, Minn., Galesburg, Ill. and Peoria, Ill. It sells products to original equipment manufacturers, resellers and MRO customers in industrial fields.
“We are committed to working with our customers on designing the right products for their applications, producing products that meet their quality expectations, and servicing them throughout the process,” said President Will Stewart.
The company was planning an entry into the Wisconsin industrial market, and GRC posed a good opportunity because owner Jack Kacsur was planning to retire.
“We have been looking for an avenue to penetrate the eastern Wisconsin market for several years. We feel our product offerings will be an excellent fit for that marketplace,” he said.
