Hubbard-Hall, a chemical distributor and manufacturer of surface treatment chemistry, has acquired the assets of Arbortech, an Illinois-based manufacturer of patented membrane equipment.
Shelley Lusas, Hubbard-Hall’s Director of Marketing, says Hubbard-Hall becomes the first chemical company to offer specialty cleaning formulations designed specifically for the patented membrane separation technology. She says the Aquaease Infinity platform is a complete cleaning and reclaim system, designed to save manufacturers up to 35% on chemistry while also reducing process defects.
“Hubbard-Hall is on a mission to help customers get better results with less chemistry, process complexity and, ultimately, lower costs,” says Molly Kellogg, CEO of Hubbard-Hall. “By adding the Arbortech team and technology to the Hubbard-Hall product offering, we plan to aggressively expand the Infinity platform to industrial manufacturers seeking to improve quality while reducing cost and environmental impact.”
Lusas says the acquisition solidifies a longstanding relationship between the two companies, as Aquaease Infinity was the first line of degreasers and cleaners co-developed for use with Arbortech’s unique membrane technology. Unlike standard industrial cleaners/degreasers, Lusas says the Aquaease Infinity cleaning compounds fully pass-through Arbortech’s membranes, leaving soils and oils trapped.
“This guarantees the reclaimed cleaner is ‘as new and remains a full-strength product,” Lusas says. “Customers report retaining 98% of their cleaning baths and reducing waste and total cleaning costs by 35% or more.”
This development in cleaning technology should give customers more control over their cleaning processes, extends the life of the cleaning bath and reduces downtime and waste. The system is offered as a lease to reduce upfront capital costs.
Ray Graffia Jr.“It’s nice to be part of the Hubbard-Hall family,” says Ray Graffia, Jr., Arbortech founder and President. “This is a like-minded company that shares our value for sustainability and can expand the use of membrane technology into new areas. It just makes tremendous sense.”
Bill Egerstaffer will join the Hubbard-Hall staff as Equipment Engineer. With 25 years of experience at Arbortech, Egerstaffer is responsible for the fabrication, installation, maintenance and design of the membrane units as well as programming the controllers. He will report to Mike Frechette, Hubbard-Hall’s Business Development Manager.
The acquisition brings together not only chemistries and processes, Lusas says, but also more than 200 years of combined experience and a shared vision to create sustainable business. Founded in 1849, Hubbard-Hall has been using its proven chemistries and on-site process expertise to help manufacturers find process savings for more than 170 years. Arbortech was founded in 1981 with a mission to reduce the environmental impact of surface finishing.
To learn more, visit www.hubbardhall.com
