The Tire Retread and Repair Information Buerau (TRIB) announced that member Hexpol Compounding HQ sa, a Belgium-based global provider of elastomer compounds, has solidified its position in the tyre industry with the integration of Robbins LLC into the Hexpol family.
Robbins LLC is a manufacturer of quality envelopes and curing tubes for tyres, as well as a leading U.S. rubber compounding company with a strong position in mining and agriculture, notes TRIB, which adds that acquiring Robbins LLC has proven to be a perfect complement to Hexpol’s breadth of technology, existing capabilities, and industry knowledge.
During the past year, Hexpol’s NAFTA integration team introduced Robbins LLC business lines to appropriate Hexpol locations, merged the sales teams from both companies, implemented financial controls and cost reductions, and adjusted inventory levels to reflect the new business model and better serve Hexpol and Robbins customers.
Under the leadership of new Managing Director Christopher Poirier, the Robbins Muscle Shoals, Alabama, facility recently completed its initial ISO 14001 environmental assessment and was named Hexpol’s “Most Improved Facility.”
“Our associates worked hard and put a lot of effort into making improvements and meeting Hexpol’s standards,” Poirier explained.
“Now we’re working to ensure that Hexpol customers can draw on Robbins LLC expertise from all of Hexpol’s NAFTA facilities.”
The Robbins LLC brand within Hexpol recently developed a specialized tyre market sales team to focus on multiple aspects of serving the tyre industry, including:
- tyre compounds: providing compound volumes exceeding 500,000 pounds per day, or prototype formulations as small as 100 pounds for custom compounds;
- retreading options: molded envelopes to cover tyres during the curing process and curing tubes to force the tread rubber into the mold;
- specialty solutions: Hexpol develops custom formulated and standard specialty products and additives for the tyre industry, from accelerators and vulcanizing agents to colorants, process aides and tyre mold lubricants.
“Robbins LLC has the perfect complement of product and service offerings for Hexpol,” said Tracy Garrison, CEO and president of Hexpol Compounding NAFTA.
“Together, we bring industry leading solutions to our customers, while elevating our position in the tyre industry to second to none.”