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Berea reaches milestone!!

Arnco University is in session

Almost 2 years after opening a major processing plant in Berea, Ohio, Arnco has significantly expanded the plant’s production output and is more than 25 percent ahead of projections in helping to meet a growing worldwide demand for polyurethane flatproofing products that extend the life of tires.

Equipment operators are doing everything they can to get more wear from their tires because of today’s severe tire shortage, and we would not be able to meet this increased demand for flatproofing if we had not opened the Berea facility last July,” says Larry Carapellotti, President of Arnco, the world’s largest supplier of polyurethane flatproofing systems and a pioneer in the development of polyurethane elastomers.

Mr. Carapellotti also gives credit to the quality of the workforce in the Cleveland area for helping the company exceed its expectations. He points out that Arnco’s decision to make a major investment in production facilities in the United States was in sharp contrast to the rest of the chemical industry, which is moving production to the Middle East and China.

According to Vice President of Operations Joe Negrey, the 112,000 square-foot facility at 140 Sheldon Road in Berea has produced more than 50 million pounds of polyurethane products the last year and is not even close to full capacity. “There is still a lot of work to be done,” says Mr. Negrey, “but we are very pleased with the results thus far.”

Because the new plant is operating at such a high level of efficiency, Mr. Negrey says Arnco has been able to move a considerable amount of production from its plant in South Gate, California to Berea where shipping costs are lower.

He adds that Arnco’s Performance Polymers Group is using the freed-up space in California to meet a growing demand for its high performance products. PPG develops and produces a wide range of urethane systems, including Stonecast® systems for architectural elements; the Intellethane™ series of high and low pressure spray elastomers for truck bed liners and commercial applications; high hardness molding compounds; rigid and flexible foams; cast elastomers; primers and MDI and TDI prepolymers.

The Berea facility – 18 times the size of the plant it replaced in Cleveland -- features state-of-the-art design and production technology. It has tank off-loading capabilities, several loading docks, a 33-foot high ceiling and plenty of room for expansion beyond the company’s immediate needs. The building also is equipped with a 13,000 square-foot explosion proof area to protect against flammable solvent materials, seven labs and spill containment throughout the facility.

Mr. Carapellotti points out that the current shortage of oversized tires is causing serious problems for dealers and operators, and any product that squeezes more hours out of their tires takes on critical importance. “Historically, flatproofing has been widely used in steel mills, scrap yards, land fills, mines, factories and wherever the operating environment is hazardous to conventional pneumatic tires. It is now being used on larger off-road tires for virtually all applications because it dramatically extends the life of the tire.

“By filling tires with Arnco flatproofing,” he continues, “you eliminate punctures and cuts, which account for nearly half all tire failures, and you don’t have to worry about maintaining proper air pressure to ensure maximum performance and longer life.”

Arnco flatproofing is achieved by replacing the air in any pneumatic tire with a patented liquid polyurethane that is pumped into the tire through the valve stem. The result is a resilient, synthetic rubber core that will never go flat.

The company markets several polyurethane flatproofing formulations and other products under the Arnco brand. In addition to such polyurethane tire flatproofing materials as SuperFlex®, HeviDuty®, RePneu® and RePneu II®, Arnco also offers the ReSeal™ tire sealant and rim conditioner and the new QuikGel™ self-sealing polyurethane liner that provides protection from punctures up to 5/16” in diameter

For further information, call 800-821-4147, or visit the newly designed Arnco website at www.arnconet.com