Barbour Corp. officials have bullish growth expectations for 2004.
The Brockton, Mass., company beefed up its product offerings and toolmaking technology with the April 1 acquisition of Atlantic Extrusions Corp.'s profile extrusion operations. In addition, Barbour will expand a manufacturing site in Commerce, Calif., and may add to a distribution site in Orlando, Fla.
``We've been considering beginning production there,'' President Richard Hynes said in a June 1 telephone interview. ``We'll probably make a decision on that before the end of the year. We're kind of still testing the business climate. The boat business has been picking up over the last couple years. It kind of hit a dip in 2001, but business has been coming back nicely.''
A subsidiary, Barbour Plastics Inc. in Brockton, focuses on extruded rub rail and other profiles for marine manufacturers. The Commerce site, which does business as Calflex Manufacturing Co., makes hose, tubing and water-supply lines for the plumbing industry. With the profile extrusion division of Atlantic Extrusions, Barbour now will make custom profile extrusions such as impact-protection moldings, store fixtures, furniture trim and office equipment components and trophy columns.
The Brockton site will gain 15 extrusion lines from Atlantic's site in Salem, Mass., which will close by July.
``We built this building with extra capacity,'' Hynes said of the 128,000-square-foot facility in Brockton. ``With this acquisition, we will be full.'' Brockton has 18 extrusion lines and will add about 15 employees from the Salem site, which employed 20.
At Commerce, Barbour recently leased 28,000 square feet of warehouse space, which will free up room for manufacturing in its 24,000-square-foot plant. That site has four extrusion lines and Barbour will add three more this year.
Barbour Corp. reported $15.6 million in profile and tubing sales for 2003, with 110 employees.
