Engravable sheet major Rowmark LLC has expanded again in distribution, acquiring Bur-Lane Inc. of Oklahoma City.
Bur-Lane has national distribution of engraving plastic and identification accessories and supplies with four warehouse locations.
“It's part of our strategy to better understand the customer base,” Rowmark President and CEO Duane Jebbett said in a phone interview. “However, we will continue to support our other network of distributors.”
Jebbett plans to keep the Bur-Lane trade name active and to employ all of Bur-Lane's staff, who he said are well known and experienced in the engraving market. Bur-Lane's distribution facilities are located in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, California and Florida. Rowmark is based in Findlay, Ohio, and manufactures and distributes engravable plastic sheet.
The acquisition, finalized Jan. 7, is the third bolt-on purchase for Rowmark in less than a year. Late last summer it bought LaserBits Inc., a supplier of laserable plastic sheet based in Phoenix with a branch location near Columbus, Ohio. In spring of 2015 it bought Johnson Plastics, a Bloomington, Minn., distributor of engravable plastic sheet and products for sublimation printing.
Jebbett said he plans to keep Bur-Lane's locations open.
“It's business as usual during the transition,” Jebbett stressed. The purchase brings Rowmark closer to some of its customers and expands its product line of engraving and signage accessories.
Bur-Lane President Bryan Morris will continue with the business as vice president and general manager of the Bur-Lane operations. Rowmark bought Bur-Lane from the Morris family.
“The Morrises have done a tremendous job building a distribution business with national coverage that is recognized for exceptional customer service,” explained Kevin Yamashita, a partner at Rowmark's parent company Bertram Capital.
Bertram and Rowmark continue to look for acquisition opportunities, the firms said.