CMA acquired controlling interest in American Roller in 2001, providing a solution for a second generation, family-owned business confronting estate-planning issues. CMA found the business attractive for investment due to:
- ARC’s market leading position in the outsourced maintenance services sector supplying industrial rollers to web-process manufacturers of thin-gauge metal, plastic film and paper
- Superior technology within its markets borne from its innovative culture and R&D investments
- Solid fundamentals – diversity of customer and markets served, talented personnel employing technical expertise in delivering a consumable product, longstanding loyal customers who are world-class leaders in their respective fields
Committed to remaining at the forefront of the industry, ARC expanded to provide its customers a more comprehensive experience and lineup of services. This objective was accomplished in part via the following transactions and investments:
2003 – acquired Champion Roller, based in Rock Hill, South Carolina for the purpose of increasing the companies’ position in the southeastern United States. Champion contributed in-house core manufacturing capability and larger roll capacity while adding bowed and chilled rolls to the existing ARC line consisting of synthetic rubber, polyurethane, ceramic and metal matrix coatings, nylon, heated rollers, steel and composite cores and shafts for the converting, metals processing, office machine, graphic arts, pulp and paper and non-woven markets.
2003 – acquired Plasma Coatings, based in Waterbury, CT. Combined, with ARC, the businesses specialized in industrial coatings for corrosion-resistance and to provide release through varieties of thermal spray, and hard facing techniques, along with advanced polymer materials and processes.
2012 –greenfield startup of Houston, TX industrial coating and machining services operation, thereby establishing ARC’s oil and gas division.
2012 – acquired PT Materials, a Houston, TX supplier of Plasma Transfer Arc welding systems and related consumable proprietary powders, thereby leveraging ARC’s technical expertise.
2012 – acquired SCS Machining & Fabricating, Houston, TX to form a one-stop supplier of OEM and repair parts to oil & gas customers requiring turnkey services (machining, coating, fabrication, logistics).
2013 – greenfield startup of Shanghai, PRC web processing coatings subsidiary, supplying the China market with international quality coatings for consumer products (breathable films/diapers) and industrial products (steel, aluminum).
2015 – acquired C.R.E.W. Inc., Oshkosh, WI, which added quick-turn core machining and engineering design for web processing customers and support for the newly acquired chill-roll product line from Nordson.
2015 – completed new plant construction and start up in Union Grove, WI of a state of the art, 52k sq. ft. coatings facility serving both the web processing and oil & gas divisions.
2015 – acquired Ideal Products, Inc. Oshkosh, WI, which added machining expertise and capacity required for increasing demand within the industrial/oil & gas division.
Exited Investment, February, 2019: American Roller Company, following a successful 17-year hold period, sold its web processing division to a CT-based private equity firm with previous investment success within the web processing equipment sector.
Effective January 2019, the Houston TX oil & gas division was renamed Arcoteq LLC and spun out of ARC and continues to serve its upstream oilfield service customer base.