Aston, Pa.-based Maguire Products Inc. bought a minority share of Bridgeville, Del.-based O.A. Newton, a supplier of bulk material handling systems to the wood-plastic composite (WPC), flexible and rigid PVC and carbon black markets, to expand capabilities.
O.A. Newton designs and builds complete systems for unloading, storage, conveying and blending of process ingredients for plastics processors, wood-composite lumber companies, tire manufacturers, and other industries that use dry bulk solids and hard-to-handle materials.
Founded in 1916 to serve the poultry industry with products to store, grind and dry grain feed, the company grew to serve other markets with material systems.
In the last 10 years, O.A. Newton systems have produced more than 5 billion pounds of flexible and rigid PVC compound for the pipe and fittings, siding, fencing, cable and other markets, according to the company's website.
The company's systems also have rolled out more than 1.55 million pounds of WPC compound for building products, such as decking, railing and window profiles, in the last six years, the website also says.
And for carbon black handling systems, O.A. Newton operates TKC Technologies in Bridgeville for the tire and rubber, ink toner and consumer products industries.
O.A. Newton will continue to operate separately, Maguire Products owner and President Steve Maguire said in a news release.
Founded in 1977, Maguire supplies gravimetric blenders, liquid color pumps and vacuum dryers, and also manufactures loading systems, auger feeders, granulators and related equipment and software for injection, blow, and rotational molders, extrusion processors and compounders.
Steve Maguire said having a minority share in O.A. Newton has the potential to expand Maguire capabilities in the material handling phase for processors.
"This investment broadens our offering to the plastics industry and allows us to serve markets that we would otherwise never reach with our current product line," Maguire said in the release. "We can now refer inquiries for bulk material handling directly to O.A. Newton and can work together with them as projects require."
Rob Rider Jr., president and CEO of O.A. Newton, said the new affiliation with the Maguire family of companies provides access to a sales organization with a global reach.
"It will greatly improve our ability to grow our customer base. The synergies between all the companies will have a compounding effect on all of us," Rider said in the release.
Maguire operates six manufacturing plants in Aston, maintains a network of distributors and has six sales and service subsidiaries as well as an affiliate, Novatec Inc., which also supplies auxiliary equipment for molding and extrusion and operates independently.