Sparta components company sold to N.C. firm

A Sparta supplier of hygienic gaskets, hoses and fittings has been acquired by a North Carolina maker of engineered industrial products, the company said Monday.EnPro Industries Inc., based in Charlotte, is buying privately held Rubber Fab Gasket & Molding Inc. for an undisclosed amount. The cash deal is expected to close Friday.

“Rubber Fab has a 20-plus-year record of providing innovative solutions to its customers in a market that continues to demand higher levels of performance and compliance,” Bob DuPont Sr., Rubber Fab’s CEO, said in a prepared statement. “While we have experienced strong and consistent growth throughout our history, we realized that a larger platform would provide new and better opportunities to serve our customers at a global level and, in so doing, provide opportunities for our employees.

“EnPro and Rubber Fab share a very similar culture, and I am excited to join the EnPro Team.”

The addition of Rubber Fab, which has about 40 employees and revenue of approximately $17 million, will expand EnPro’s Garlock family of companies, which supplies high-performance sealing and fluid handling products to the chemical, power generation and oil and gas markets.

“We are excited by the high level of industry focus, the breadth of innovative products and the strong distribution network that Rubber Fab brings to our business,” Eric Vaillancourt, president of Garlock, said in a statement. “We are confident that our combined capabilities will enhance our delivery of highly engineered sealing components and fluid handling solutions to customers operating across all hygienic process industries.”