Southco Expands Marine Hardware Line with Acquisition of Orcas Marine Products
Concordville, PA, November 1, 2006-Southco Inc. has expanded its line of products for the boat building industry with the acquisition of Orcas Marine Products, Inc., of Crystal River, Florida, which designs and manufactures a line of stainless steel marine deck hardware.
According to Richard Hipp, general manager of Southco's Marine, Recreational Vehicle and Caravan business unit, the Orcas portfolio of complementary, innovative stainless steel deck hardware-which includes cleats, tank vents and fills, drains, rod holders, hinges, latches and railing components-offers expanded one-stop integration opportunities for boat builders.
"With the addition of the Orcas line of hardware, we have expanded our product capabilities in another major application zone of the boat-the deck," said Hipp. "This strategic acquisition will enable us to better serve our customers. And, by combining the product development talents of the two organizations, we can help marine industry designers create new, innovative hardware solutions to help differentiate their vessels from bow to stern with the broadest, most complete line of high quality marine hardware available in the marketplace."
Oren Cotton, the founder and former president of Orcas Marine Products, Inc., will become director of marine product innovation, reporting to Hipp. Two other major principals of Orcas, Barbara and Charles Head, will remain on as consultants with Southco to enable a smoother transition to the new company configuration. In addition, Hipp said Southco has plans to further expand their marine industry operations to continue to increase overall delivery and service levels. He also noted that the acquisition would result in a combined, expanded sales force to better serve the needs of all Southco and Orcas customers.
For more information, visit Southco's website at southco.com; e-mail their 24/7 customer service department at info@southco.com; call 610-459-4000; or fax to 610-459-4012.
Southco is a leading global provider of engineered access solutions, including latches, locks, captive fasteners, hinges, handles, and other accessories for applications in the marine, networking, telecommunications, computer, automotive, aerospace, mass transit, off-highway/construction, RV/caravan, industrial machinery and HVAC industries.
Southco is strongly focused on customized engineering solutions and global support for its key customers. The company aspires to be a virtual engineering center for its customers' engineered-access solutions and is committed to providing outstanding quality and overall satisfaction. Southco's promise to its customers is to connect, create and innovate to provide the best solution for every access engineering problem.
SOUTHCO CONTACT: Dale Clouser
610-361-6551
dclouser@southco.com
MEDIA CONTACT: Ted Sikorski
302-429-5132
tsikorski@rteideas.com
