Composites manufacturer Mar-Bal, Inc. (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) has recently merged its AltraSet Composite Technologies company with Lattice Composites (Riverside, Calif.). The integrated merger will expand Mar-Bal’s composite technologies to now include Lattice’s customized epoxy chemistry systems–providing a unique materials portfolio of polyester and epoxy resin compounds that is world class.
The ISO 9001: 2015 Registered Mar-Bal provides customers with comprehensive thermoset composite solutions–including part design, specialized material formulations, decorating, assembly, and customized automation. As a historical player in Polyester and Vinyl Ester resin based BMC materials, the merger with Lattice will create new opportunities for epoxy based products and material solutions for the composites industry–which are not available with any other material suppliers. This next-level of essential advanced epoxy technologies and products will include (but is not limited to):
- SMC/BMC composite materials (Carbon Fiber & Fiberglass Reinforced)
2. Filament Winding resins
3. Prepreg Resin
4. Bulk and Film adhesives
5. Custom Materials and Process Solutions
Pulling their full scope of resources together, Lattice will be moving its advanced manufacturing equipment and experienced technical staff to Mar-Bal’s state-of-the-art AltraSet Materials Division compounding facility in Chagrin Falls, OH. Joining Mar-Bal’s VP of Materials Engineering, Larry Landis, will be Lattice founder and CEO, Ruchir Shanbhag, Director of Operations, Zach Melrose, and Process Engineer, Steve Stine.
According to Scott Balogh, President and CEO of Mar-Bal, Inc., “This merger has created the world’s leading provider of composite materials solutions. We have the ability to custom design, formulate, and manufacture a wide variety of composite materials to fit most any product application or manufacturing process. Our cultural alignment, common vision, values, and customer-centric approach makes us a valued partner in the epoxy resin based materials world.”
Established in 2015 by Ruchir Shanbhag, Lattice Composites was created with the goal of changing the traditional paradigms of epoxy use when compared to other epoxy manufacturers–molecularly via Lattice’s highly qualified and experienced formulators. With a focus on basic resin packages that provide superior material properties when compared to other resin systems in the market, Lattice’s epoxy resin systems are also highly customizable to provide engineered solutions to fit the specific needs of each company.
The merger enables enhanced capabilities for customized and high-performance composites (Source: Mar-Bal)
According to Shanbhag, who is also a joint owner of the merged entity, “This is a “no brainer” merger, as the companies have been working collaboratively for many years. We needed to grow, and Mar-Bal’s cutting-edge manufacturing and composite material capabilities were aligned perfectly with our high-end epoxy performance expertise. We are now positioned as the only company in the industry that has both the materials and technology to bring unparalleled epoxy advantages to the equation for end-users including; lower cost structure, higher performance, and ease-of-processing.”
Mar-Bal’s Landis concurred on the merger synergy in stating, “This ‘joint-formulation’ merger opens up a flood gate of application possibilities that no one else on the market can do by making our own resins and selling epoxies. Chemical products for adhesives, filament winding resins, and epoxy for specialized composites for SMC and BMC compounds are now vertically integrated into the epoxy world.” Landis concluded that, “Our groups can now work together on integrating projects and equipment across three SMC chemistries–Polyesters, Vinyl Esters, and Epoxies.”
Mar-Bal President and CEO, Scott Balogh, concluded that, “The Lattice merger’s value proposition is more than just an epoxy value proposition. It’s about the people and the culture that we embody collectively via our “Total Value Commitment” philosophy. Ultimately, the ability to custom formulate to give the customer “speed-to-market” is what this team brings, as we are a highly competent and motivated group that thrives on solving problems for customers with the most economic solutions possible.”