LLFlex – a global leader in packaging materials and industrial laminate solutions for the building+construction, wire+ cable, and consumer packaging industries – has acquired the “Wire+Cable Metal Armoring Tapes Segment” of Web Industries, an international materials converter and contract manufacturer. The move includes the slitting and related assets for the production of coated and uncoated copper and aluminum cable wraps and armor tapes.

The acquisition comes as LLFLex begins production at its new 73,500-square-foot fully integrated manufacturing facility in High Point, North Carolina. With the ramp up of skilled labor, technical personnel, sophisticated equipment and optimized production layout, the plant will significantly expand LLFlex’s output capacity – and provide reassuring redundancy – for its two main business segments, Packaging and Industrial Laminates.

Highlighted by the addition of the Web Industries’ Bare Metal Armoring Tapes Slitting Division, the acquisition bolsters the capacity and capabilities of the state-of-the-art production cell at LLFlex’s new North Carolina manufacturing facility. LLFlex now offers the most comprehensive portfolio of any cable wrap supplier, with product offerings including bare & coated steel, aluminum and copper in custom widths and lengths – all backed by quick-ship capabilities. LLFlex can also produce the industry’s largest diameter coils – a distinct advantage that can increase yield and minimize changeovers and downtime for its customers.

Incorporating Web Industries’ infrastructure furthers the new site’s position as a “Global Cable Wrap Center of Excellence.” Combined with Foreign Trade Zone status and flexible shipping options, including plans to launch its own shipping truck fleet later this year, the move helps make LLFlex a turnkey, single-point provider for all cable wrap needs.

“With Web Industries bare copper and aluminum armor slitting and production assets integrated into the new cable wrap production cell in North Carolina, LLFlex can now provide the widest range of coated and bare steel, copper and aluminum cable wraps and armoring solutions in the marketplace,” said Victor Dixon, CEO of LLFlex. “These unique assets and capabilities make LLFlex even more versatile with the technical leadership, expanded product range and global supply chain network to develop, produce and deliver new, innovative products for evolving industry needs.”

In fact, several innovations are already underway at the new North Carolina plant. For example, LLFlex is initiating a groundbreaking touchless packaging process that eliminates edge damage due to manual handling, and pioneering a slitting technology that results in flat edges for improved processing and weldability on cable lines.

Scheduled to commence wide-scale production in the coming weeks, the new North Carolina facility has seen a steady march of progress toward its official opening. Systems ensuring temperature and humidity control were installed, and the site was certified to operate as a Foreign Trade Zone in late August. Hiring skilled staff and a production manager, completing docking and loading bay construction, wiring the facility for industrial-grade electricity bandwidth and testing the plant’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system all have been accomplished as the cGMP compliant, ISO 9001:2015 accredited plant counts down to its debut.

Equally impressive is the plant’s sophisticated equipment and smart product workflow. The facility houses high-speed equipment for custom laminating, coating, embossing, and slitting, with module diversity and state-of-the-art automation and robotics combining to shorten turnaround times and improve production efficiency even for large orders and customized products.

www.llflex.com