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Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis Acquires RapidFix Assets from Boss Products USA
Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis Acquires RapidFix Assets from Boss Products USA
AUGUST 31, 2017, St. Louis, Missouri...Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis (LHB), a not-for-profit manufacturing and packaging company with a dedicated social service mission (http://www.lhbindustries.com), has acquired RapidFix brand of adhesives from Boss Products USA, LLC, of Norton Shores, Michigan. The deal closed effective August 31, 2017. (http://www.rapidfix.com).
RapidFix represents a premium line of industrial and consumer bonding products that repair broken or damaged items that include rubber, glass, copper, aluminum, steel and most plastics. RapidFix is sold by Ace Hardware, NAPA, Advance Auto Parts, The Pep Boys, Amazon and additional retailers in automotive, hardware and marine industries.
John Thompson, president of Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis, also known as LHB Industries, Inc., said, "Our acquisition of the RapidFix product line from Boss Products USA provides LHB with an additional line of adhesive and bonding products that are well known and popular with consumers and businesses nationwide.”
"LHB has been looking for another acquisition since we acquired Tear Mender brands in June of 2015 from Val-A Chicago, Inc. RapidFix and Tear Mender products are excellent fits for our organization," Thompson said.
“This new acquisition gives LHB more exposure in commercial retail markets in addition to our current business in government and military sales.”
Financial terms of LHB’s acquisition of RapidFix were not disclosed.
LHB will move RapidFix operations to St. Louis from Michigan. As with Tear Mender and Quake Kare, proceeds from RapidFix product sales will support LHB service programs for people who are visually impaired in Missouri and Southwestern Illinois.
The RapidFix deal is expected to increase LHB revenues and employment in St. Louis County by expanding operations, providing more employment for people who are legally blind and increasing income to support LHB’s outreach programs.
All RapidFix products are made in the United States.
Brian Houser, LHB director of sales and marketing, said, "RapidFix products enable durable, long lasting and permanent bonds and repairs to hundreds of automotive, industrial, marine and consumer items. We are very excited about this new acquisition."
The RapidFix Professional Adhesive product bonds almost any material instantly – including different materials to one another such as glass to aluminum or rubber to metal. RapidFix Welding Powder is used to repair all types of holes, cracks and gaps by producing a strong weld seam to support the repair, just like solder or welded joints. RapidFix adhesives are Non Toxic and are very safe and easy to use.
Len Kelsey is president of Boss Products USA, LLC. He is a native of Australia who established U.S. business operations in the early 1990s and built his company by selling automotive filters and related systems to car and truck manufacturers, including Ford Motor Co., and Chrysler. He founded and began selling RapidFix products nationally and internationally in 2008.
LHB will package, sell and distribute the RapidFix Dual Adhesive System, RapidFix UV Adhesive and the RapidFix UV Fiber Patch from its headquarters plant in the St. Louis suburb of Overland.
LHB is a 501(c)3 organization founded in 1933. Today, it helps children and adults who are visually impaired maintain dignity and independence by offering employment, education and support services. LHB currently employs 48 people who are legally blind in two assembly and packaging plants in St. Louis County to assemble, pack and ship RapidFix, Quake Kare and Tear Mender products, as well as LHB’s flagship products for business, government and military customers. All sales revenues directly support LHB’s 16 Community Outreach Programs under the banner “See the Future.”
Thompson said, “With RapidFix, Quake Kare and Tear Mender, Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis is demonstrating that it makes good sense for non-profit entities to pursue opportunities to enhance their service missions with new approaches for strategic acquisitions and collaborations that can generate revenue to support social service programs.”
“We are very proud of our skilled employees in both of our production plants, and we are proud of our mission-specific staff members who develop, sustain and provide our meaningful programs for the blind community in Missouri and Illinois,” Thompson said.
For information about LHB products, community services and social service programs, call 800.542.3697 or 314.423.4333, or see the website http://www.lhbindustries.com.