Friday, March 22, 2019
Friday, March 15, 2019
GORDON BRUSH MFG. CO. ACQUIRES SPECTRUM PAINT APPLICATOR CORP.
Date: 2019-03-15
CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA -- Gordon Brush Mfg. Co., Inc. has acquired the assets of Kirschner Brush Mfg. Company, located in Bronx, New York.
CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA -- Gordon Brush Mfg. Co., Inc. has acquired Spectrum Paint Applicator Corp., located in Newark, New Jersey. The Company's manufacturing and operations will be relocated and incorporated into Gordon Brush's 183,000 sq. ft., City of Industry, CA manufacturing facility.
Since 1945, Spectrum Brush has manufactured industrial and consumer paint brushes, paint rollers and artist brushes. Arthur Edelson, Spectrum's CEO, explains, "It’s time for us to step aside so that the Company can continue to grow. We felt that Gordon Brush® was the best fit to take Spectrum Brush to the next level, to continue our family tradition of individualized customer service, and to best manufacture our line of American made consumer, professional, and industrial paint applicators."
Ken Rakusin, President and CEO of Gordon Brush notes, "The acquisition of Spectrum Brush, our twelfth acquisition, consolidates Gordon Brush's reach in the paint brush category. Spectrum Brush will add to our stable of other acquired paint and artist brush companies. These include: Redtree Industries and Kirschner Brush in the paint brush and roller sector and Marx Brush in the artist brush sector. The Spectrum Brush acquisition dramatically enhances our scale, product offerings, and geographic reach — creating new synergies that better position us for future growth and investment in new and existing markets."
"It's another perfect fit for Gordon Brush® that ties into its mantra of being, Proud To Be An American Manufacturer™. This acquisition enhances the global product offering of Gordon Brush's line of paint and artist brushes and opens up new avenues for the manufacture of custom paint and artist brush products. As the demand for American made products increases, we are proud to be at the forefront of that movement."
CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA -- Gordon Brush Mfg. Co., Inc. has acquired the assets of Kirschner Brush Mfg. Company, located in Bronx, New York.
CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA -- Gordon Brush Mfg. Co., Inc. has acquired Spectrum Paint Applicator Corp., located in Newark, New Jersey. The Company's manufacturing and operations will be relocated and incorporated into Gordon Brush's 183,000 sq. ft., City of Industry, CA manufacturing facility.
Since 1945, Spectrum Brush has manufactured industrial and consumer paint brushes, paint rollers and artist brushes. Arthur Edelson, Spectrum's CEO, explains, "It’s time for us to step aside so that the Company can continue to grow. We felt that Gordon Brush® was the best fit to take Spectrum Brush to the next level, to continue our family tradition of individualized customer service, and to best manufacture our line of American made consumer, professional, and industrial paint applicators."
Ken Rakusin, President and CEO of Gordon Brush notes, "The acquisition of Spectrum Brush, our twelfth acquisition, consolidates Gordon Brush's reach in the paint brush category. Spectrum Brush will add to our stable of other acquired paint and artist brush companies. These include: Redtree Industries and Kirschner Brush in the paint brush and roller sector and Marx Brush in the artist brush sector. The Spectrum Brush acquisition dramatically enhances our scale, product offerings, and geographic reach — creating new synergies that better position us for future growth and investment in new and existing markets."
"It's another perfect fit for Gordon Brush® that ties into its mantra of being, Proud To Be An American Manufacturer™. This acquisition enhances the global product offering of Gordon Brush's line of paint and artist brushes and opens up new avenues for the manufacture of custom paint and artist brush products. As the demand for American made products increases, we are proud to be at the forefront of that movement."
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Gordon Brush Mfg. Co. featured in Paint & Decorating Retailer Magazine
California-based Gordon Brush Mfg. Co. Inc. has acquired Parker Brush Inc. Parker Brush’s manufacturing and operations will be relocated and folded into Gordon Brush’s 183,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, which is located in City of Industry, California.
Since 1959, Parker Brush has manufactured stock and custom brushes for the agriculture, food processing and electronics industries.
“We felt that Gordon Brush was the best fit to take Parker Brush to the next level, to continue our family tradition of individualized customer service, and to best manufacture our line of American-made brushes,” says founder and former CEO of Parker Brush Melody Orenchuk.
Ken Rakusin, president and CEO of Gordon Brush, says the acquisition will allow the company to reach new heights.
“The Parker Brush acquisition dramatically enhances our scale, product offerings and geographic reach— creating new synergies that better position us for future growth and investment in new and existing markets,” he says.
Established in 1951, Gordon Brush currently fabricates more than 2,000 types of brushes, including brass, nylon and natural-bristle brushes.
Since 1959, Parker Brush has manufactured stock and custom brushes for the agriculture, food processing and electronics industries.
“We felt that Gordon Brush was the best fit to take Parker Brush to the next level, to continue our family tradition of individualized customer service, and to best manufacture our line of American-made brushes,” says founder and former CEO of Parker Brush Melody Orenchuk.
Ken Rakusin, president and CEO of Gordon Brush, says the acquisition will allow the company to reach new heights.
“The Parker Brush acquisition dramatically enhances our scale, product offerings and geographic reach— creating new synergies that better position us for future growth and investment in new and existing markets,” he says.
Established in 1951, Gordon Brush currently fabricates more than 2,000 types of brushes, including brass, nylon and natural-bristle brushes.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Milwaukee Dustless Brush worked with Dairy Queen® to create an 8 foot long metal-free brush that could clean hard-to-reach areas on the inside of Dairy Queen’s® ice cream machines’ dispensing heads.
To clean the ice cream machines, the custom-made brush was snaked up into the orifice of the dispensing head and shimmied around to remove any build-up. It was important that the brush meet the strict FDA hygienic standards for food preparation and consumer safety. Our design team at Milwaukee Dustless Brush chose metal-free bristles since they alleviated the risk posed by any wire bristle-breakage in the machines. In addition, the metal-free bristles did not damage the surface of the ice cream dispensing heads, helping to maintain the finish and prolong the longevity of the Dairy Queen® ice cream machines.
Friday, December 14, 2018
Applauded as American Made Hero of the week!
Ken Rakusin, CEO of Gordon Brush applauded as American Made Hero of the week!
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Celebrating products made in America
Heavy Metal, the journalist, tries to stay as objective as possible when it comes to international business. You won't get fake news about plastics from Heavy Metal!
But in my personal life, I try to buy American-made products whenever possible. I look at labels. Study those country-of-origin numbers listed on the stickers of new cars. Heavy Metal buys U.S.-made shoes, except for those cheap tennis shoes for cutting the grass. Heavy Metal tries — sadly, now mostly in vain — to purchase U.S.-made underwear. (OK, maybe this is TMI.)
That's why this edition of Heavy Metal is pleased to take you to Gordon Brush Manufacturing Co. Inc. in City of Industry, Calif. On June 28, the company became the 2018 winner of the Made: In America Award from the Washington-based group of the same name.
But in my personal life, I try to buy American-made products whenever possible. I look at labels. Study those country-of-origin numbers listed on the stickers of new cars. Heavy Metal buys U.S.-made shoes, except for those cheap tennis shoes for cutting the grass. Heavy Metal tries — sadly, now mostly in vain — to purchase U.S.-made underwear. (OK, maybe this is TMI.)
That's why this edition of Heavy Metal is pleased to take you to Gordon Brush Manufacturing Co. Inc. in City of Industry, Calif. On June 28, the company became the 2018 winner of the Made: In America Award from the Washington-based group of the same name.
The nonprofit group tries to increase public awareness and educate Americans about the importance of a strong U.S. manufacturing base.
Gordon Brush President and CEO Ken Rakusin called winning the award "an amazing honor and accomplishment" for the company.
"Even under competitive threats, the company has been steadfast in its philosophy and commitment to manufacturing in the United States," Rakusin said. "In spite of many issues, I was determined to build and grow my business in the United States by reinvesting profits into the purchase of millions of dollars in manufacturing equipment and machinery. Pride in contributing to the American economy is near and dear to my heart."
Another honor came on Aug. 30 when U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano presented Rakusin and employees of Gordon Brush a Certificate of Congressional Recognition at a ceremony at the company's 183,000-square-foot headquarters plant.
Gordon Brush, founded in 1951, is a major manufacturer of all kinds of brushes and mops for markets such as janitorial, medical, electronics, manufacturing, military, art, aerospace and pharmaceutical. Think brushes are mundane? Gordon Brush has made brushes for the U.S. Army to clear the main gun on Abrams tanks!
It makes more than 17,000 brushes and brooms. And it can design specialty brushes. Metal. Wood. And yes plastic, including structural foam and injection brush blocks and handles. Plastics applications include antistatic brushes, bore brushes, and brushes for clean room use.
According to the company's website, Gordon Brush was founded by Don Gordon. In 1973, aerospace engineer William Loitz bought the company. In 1990, Rakusin left a career at Xerox to run Gordon Brush, and he later bought into the company. Rakusin bought Loitz's interest in the brush manufacturer in 2010.
Gordon Brush has grown organically and made a series of acquisitions over the years, steadily expanding its reach into new markets. A notable one for the plastics industry came earlier this year when Gordon Brush bought Easy Reach Supply LLC, in Hattiesburg, Miss., an American manufacturer of wash brushes, extension handles, injection and foam molded brush blocks and other janitorial products.
Alan Schechter, vice president of sales and marketing, said the Hattiesburg plant brought injection molding to Gordon Brush. Before buying Easy Reach, the company used U.S. customer molders — and still does for some products, he said.
The Made: In America Award is front and center on Gordon Brush's website. "We promote very heavily our American heritage," Schechter said.
Heavy Metal salutes Gordon Brush. May your brushes always be American-made!
Maybe in a future blog I will tell the story of trying to buy an American flag but only finding U.S. flags made in China. There was a loud rant, right in the store. Of course, there needs to be a plastics angle to merit a blog in Plastics News. Even if your name is … Heavy Metal.
Bill Bregar is author of the Heavy Metal blog and a senior reporter for Plastics News. Follow him on Twitter @MachineryBeat25.
Bill Bregar – Bregar had five years of daily newspaper reporting experience and had been an assistant editor of Restaurant Management magazine before joining Plastics News as a reporter prior to the publication's launch in 1989. A 1983 journalism graduate of Ohio University, he was promoted to senior reporter in January 1996. Follow on Twitter @Machinerybeat25
Gordon Brush President and CEO Ken Rakusin called winning the award "an amazing honor and accomplishment" for the company.
"Even under competitive threats, the company has been steadfast in its philosophy and commitment to manufacturing in the United States," Rakusin said. "In spite of many issues, I was determined to build and grow my business in the United States by reinvesting profits into the purchase of millions of dollars in manufacturing equipment and machinery. Pride in contributing to the American economy is near and dear to my heart."
Another honor came on Aug. 30 when U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano presented Rakusin and employees of Gordon Brush a Certificate of Congressional Recognition at a ceremony at the company's 183,000-square-foot headquarters plant.
Gordon Brush, founded in 1951, is a major manufacturer of all kinds of brushes and mops for markets such as janitorial, medical, electronics, manufacturing, military, art, aerospace and pharmaceutical. Think brushes are mundane? Gordon Brush has made brushes for the U.S. Army to clear the main gun on Abrams tanks!
It makes more than 17,000 brushes and brooms. And it can design specialty brushes. Metal. Wood. And yes plastic, including structural foam and injection brush blocks and handles. Plastics applications include antistatic brushes, bore brushes, and brushes for clean room use.
According to the company's website, Gordon Brush was founded by Don Gordon. In 1973, aerospace engineer William Loitz bought the company. In 1990, Rakusin left a career at Xerox to run Gordon Brush, and he later bought into the company. Rakusin bought Loitz's interest in the brush manufacturer in 2010.
Gordon Brush has grown organically and made a series of acquisitions over the years, steadily expanding its reach into new markets. A notable one for the plastics industry came earlier this year when Gordon Brush bought Easy Reach Supply LLC, in Hattiesburg, Miss., an American manufacturer of wash brushes, extension handles, injection and foam molded brush blocks and other janitorial products.
Alan Schechter, vice president of sales and marketing, said the Hattiesburg plant brought injection molding to Gordon Brush. Before buying Easy Reach, the company used U.S. customer molders — and still does for some products, he said.
The Made: In America Award is front and center on Gordon Brush's website. "We promote very heavily our American heritage," Schechter said.
Heavy Metal salutes Gordon Brush. May your brushes always be American-made!
Maybe in a future blog I will tell the story of trying to buy an American flag but only finding U.S. flags made in China. There was a loud rant, right in the store. Of course, there needs to be a plastics angle to merit a blog in Plastics News. Even if your name is … Heavy Metal.
Bill Bregar is author of the Heavy Metal blog and a senior reporter for Plastics News. Follow him on Twitter @MachineryBeat25.
Bill Bregar – Bregar had five years of daily newspaper reporting experience and had been an assistant editor of Restaurant Management magazine before joining Plastics News as a reporter prior to the publication's launch in 1989. A 1983 journalism graduate of Ohio University, he was promoted to senior reporter in January 1996. Follow on Twitter @Machinerybeat25
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Gordon Brush committed to remaining an American manufacturer
Roberto Valenzuela,70, assembles brushes at Gordon Brush Manufacturing Co. Inc. in City of Industry. The business is a leading manufacturer of specialty, custom, and standard brushes for industrial, commercial, and consumer purposes. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, San Gabriel Valley Tribune/ SCNG)
Gordon Brush had plenty of chances to leave.
The City of Industry-based maker of brushes for industrial, commercial and consumer use has been actively recruited by several states over the years. The company had a private meeting with the governor of Arizona and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (now the nation’s secretary of energy) also expressed interest.
But despite those offers — and an increasingly global market that has prompted scores of U.S. companies to shift their operations elsewhere where labor is cheaper — Gordon Brush has stayed put. For 67 years.
That commitment to remaining an American manufacturer has not been lost on Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-El Monte. She stopped by the 183,000-square foot manufacturing complex in late August to present President and CEO Ken Rakusin with a certificate of congressional recognition.
Sample brushes manufactured at Gordon Brush Manufacturing Co. Inc. in City of Industry are shown here. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, San Gabriel Valley Tribune/ SCNG)
The City of Industry-based maker of brushes for industrial, commercial and consumer use has been actively recruited by several states over the years. The company had a private meeting with the governor of Arizona and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (now the nation’s secretary of energy) also expressed interest.
But despite those offers — and an increasingly global market that has prompted scores of U.S. companies to shift their operations elsewhere where labor is cheaper — Gordon Brush has stayed put. For 67 years.
That commitment to remaining an American manufacturer has not been lost on Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-El Monte. She stopped by the 183,000-square foot manufacturing complex in late August to present President and CEO Ken Rakusin with a certificate of congressional recognition.
Sample brushes manufactured at Gordon Brush Manufacturing Co. Inc. in City of Industry are shown here. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, San Gabriel Valley Tribune/ SCNG)
American Commitment
“We salute his ongoing commitment to manufacturing products in the San Gabriel Valley, which supports local jobs and benefits other businesses in our region and beyond,” Napolitano said in a statement. “This well-deserved honor recognizes his extraordinary efforts to promote American-made goods and preserve the economic health of our nation.”
Rakusin said his business philosophy stems from his loyalty to country and his employees.
“Gordon Brush is proud to be an American manufacturer and has been steadfast in its commitment to manufacturing in the United States, even under competitive threats,” he said. “All of this could not have been possible without my valued, long-tenured, skilled employees.”
Founded in 1951, Gordon Brush Manufacturing Co. Inc. includes two product brands that date back to the mid- to late 1800s. The company, at 3737 Capital Ave., employs 150 full-time workers. Some have been with the business for more than 40 years.
Lots of brushes
The specialty manufacturer makes more than 17,000 types of brushes used in the aerospace, medical, electronics, janitorial, military, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries.
Duster brushes, strip brushes, bore brushes, detail brushes, flow-thru brushes … the list is long. And along the way, Gordon Brush has amassed a roster of clients that includes Boeing, McMaster-Carr, Motion Industries and Techni-Tool, among others.
“Fifty percent of our business is in custom brushes,” said Alan Schechter, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We’ve made brushes for the Apache helicopter and the lunar landing.”
At the other end of the spectrum, one of the company’s more popular products is the consumer-oriented FootMate System. The unit includes a set of brushes that are attached to a rubber base lined with small suction cups. The FootMate can be placed on the floor of a shower stall or bathroom. After a gel is applied, users can rub their feet back and forth through the brushes, which massage tender areas of the foot and remove dead skin.
Steel Tariffs
Schechter said the company is doing well, although it has been negatively impacted by the Trump administration’s 25 percent tariff on imported steel.
“Our costs have gone up as a result of the tariff,” he said. “I’ll leave it to the political powers to figure out where the balance is for the U.S. manufacturing community … where we can buy materials in a way that doesn’t put us out of business.”
By KEVIN SMITH | kvsmith@scng.com | San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Kevin Smith handles business news and editing for the Southern California News Group, which includes 11 newspapers, websites and social media channels. He covers everything from employment, technology and housing to retail, corporate mergers and business-based apps. Kevin often writes stories that highlight the local impact of trends occurring nationwide. And the focus is always to shed light on why those issues matter to readers in Southern California.
“We salute his ongoing commitment to manufacturing products in the San Gabriel Valley, which supports local jobs and benefits other businesses in our region and beyond,” Napolitano said in a statement. “This well-deserved honor recognizes his extraordinary efforts to promote American-made goods and preserve the economic health of our nation.”
Rakusin said his business philosophy stems from his loyalty to country and his employees.
“Gordon Brush is proud to be an American manufacturer and has been steadfast in its commitment to manufacturing in the United States, even under competitive threats,” he said. “All of this could not have been possible without my valued, long-tenured, skilled employees.”
Founded in 1951, Gordon Brush Manufacturing Co. Inc. includes two product brands that date back to the mid- to late 1800s. The company, at 3737 Capital Ave., employs 150 full-time workers. Some have been with the business for more than 40 years.
Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-El Monte, meets with Ken Rakusin, president and CEO of Gordon Brush Manufacturing Co. Inc. in City of Industry.
The specialty manufacturer makes more than 17,000 types of brushes used in the aerospace, medical, electronics, janitorial, military, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries.
Duster brushes, strip brushes, bore brushes, detail brushes, flow-thru brushes … the list is long. And along the way, Gordon Brush has amassed a roster of clients that includes Boeing, McMaster-Carr, Motion Industries and Techni-Tool, among others.
“Fifty percent of our business is in custom brushes,” said Alan Schechter, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We’ve made brushes for the Apache helicopter and the lunar landing.”
At the other end of the spectrum, one of the company’s more popular products is the consumer-oriented FootMate System. The unit includes a set of brushes that are attached to a rubber base lined with small suction cups. The FootMate can be placed on the floor of a shower stall or bathroom. After a gel is applied, users can rub their feet back and forth through the brushes, which massage tender areas of the foot and remove dead skin.
Steel Tariffs
Schechter said the company is doing well, although it has been negatively impacted by the Trump administration’s 25 percent tariff on imported steel.
“Our costs have gone up as a result of the tariff,” he said. “I’ll leave it to the political powers to figure out where the balance is for the U.S. manufacturing community … where we can buy materials in a way that doesn’t put us out of business.”
By KEVIN SMITH | kvsmith@scng.com | San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Kevin Smith handles business news and editing for the Southern California News Group, which includes 11 newspapers, websites and social media channels. He covers everything from employment, technology and housing to retail, corporate mergers and business-based apps. Kevin often writes stories that highlight the local impact of trends occurring nationwide. And the focus is always to shed light on why those issues matter to readers in Southern California.
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