Rubbermaid Inc. of Wooster, Ohio, has expanded its commercial play equipment business again by acquiring Decor Concepts Inc. of Arcadia, Calif. The Sept. 5 purchase for an undisclosed amount of cash is Rubbermaid's third such deal in less than a year, as it grows its Little Tikes Co. subsidiary's play equipment business. In April, Rubbermaid bought Par-Rec Holdings Inc. of Paris, Ontario, and in October bought Glenwood Systems Pty. Ltd. of Victoria, Australia.
Decor, big in supplying slides and other equipment to fast-food chains and indoor family centers, will boost Little Tikes' recent gains in indoor play equipment, according to Rubbermaid spokeswoman Lorrie Paul Crum.
Par-Rec and Glenwood ex-panded Little Tikes's outdoor equipment business for schools and parks.
Crum said indoor play equipment markets are expanding and Rubbermaid is positioning Little Tikes to enjoy the growth. Decor Concepts has annual sales of about $30 million. Its major tradename is Omni.
Crum said Decor probably will continue to source rotationally molded parts from a long-standing, undisclosed supplier. Little Tikes of Hudson, Ohio, makes its own rotomolded parts at various North American locations and in Luxembourg for the European market. It recently bought a Columbia, S.C., facility from Whirlpool Corp. to convert to a rotomolding and assembly plant.
Bruce DeBever, who was president and a part owner of privately held Decor, will continue to lead the Arcadia operation.