Curbell buys Nationwide in shapes distribution deal

Plastic shapes distributor Curbell Plastics Inc. has grown by acquiring Nationwide Plastics Inc. for an undisclosed price.

Arlington, Texas-based Nationwide is a full-service distributor with extensive plastic part fabrication and precision machining capabilities, officials with Curbell in Orchard Park, N.Y., said in an Aug. 26 news release.

They added that the deal will allow Curbell to expand into Texas and Mississippi and will strengthen the firm's shipping and fabrication capabilities at the national level.

Nationwide employs more than 50 at sites in Arlington, Houston and Jackson, Miss. Adding those sites now gives Curbell 22 locations.

For the immediate future, Nationwide will operate as a division of Curbell, officials said. Nationwide's extensive fabrication and machining services include CNC plastics machining and several types of plastics molding and processing.

Nationwide “was an excellent fit for Curbell because we share so much in common,” Curbell President Gerry Helbig said in the release. “Once we spent time with their team and saw how they operated, it was clear the Nationwide team shares our emphasis on providing timely service, plus the exceptional value that comes from deep industry expertise and technical application knowledge.”

Curbell previously had served the Texas market from its own location in Arlington. The acquisition "adds a physical presence for its technical expertise and product offerings in the heart of the oil-and-gas–focused Houston region," officials said. The two Arlington locations will eventually combine to form the largest Curbell Plastics branch.

Nationwide Vice President Chris Jones said that he's confident that his firm's customers "will quickly see that the service level they're used to will get even better as we combine our resources and talents with Curbell Plastics."

Curbell, founded in 1942, supplies performance plastic sheet, rod, tube, film, adhesives, sealants and prototyping materials for manufacturing to thousands of businesses, entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.

Curbell now has made six acquisitions in the last seven years, but officials said that the acquisition of Nationwide is its largest to date. The buying spree began in 2012 when Curbell acquired sheet and machine parts supplier American Plastics of Arlington. Then in 2014, it added O&P Enterprises Inc., a Gurnee, Ill.-based supplier of plastics, foams and related products to the orthotic and prosthetic market.

In 2016, Curbell acquired two California-based shapes suppliers - M&M Plastics Inc. of San Diego and Cal Plastics & Metals Inc. of Chula Vista. Most recently, Curbell purchased the orthotic and prosthetic business of Guard Industries Inc. of St. Louis in March 2018.

Curbell's Helbig added in the release that his firm "is far from done" in making acquisitions. "We are always searching for strategic partners that will enhance our ability to serve customers across the United States," he said. "I'm excited to see what the future will bring."