EMSEAL Expands
Move into 156,000 SF Plant will meet Growing Global Expansion Joint Demand
EMSEAL Expands. But you already knew that. EMSEAL’s self-expanding, non-invasively anchored, watertight expansion joint systems have been expanding to fill building expansion joints for decades.
In response to global demand for 360-degree building envelope sealing solutions based in its breakthrough, patented, and proprietary as well as proven expansion joint and sealant systems, EMSEAL is expanding into a new 156,000 SF manufacturing plant. Following occupancy in Q4 2017, this will bring the company’s manufacturing footprint to 184,000 SF in two facilities.
“This new facility will allow us to consolidate two existing foam-sealant plants, increase efficiency and throughput, maintain lead-times under our “Custom-Quick” program and add capacity for significant future growth,” comments Vice President, Bill Witherspoon. “Demand from our Specialty Tape, Architectural, and burgeoning Bridge Divisions has driven the need for increased capacity on all production lines.”
EMSEAL’s manufacturing operations are subject to spot quality assurance inspections by Underwriters Laboratories who monitors the company’s compliance under UL certification of its EMSHIELD fire-rated products. In addition, EMSEAL has recently secured ISO certification under both ISO 9001:2015 (quality management) and ISO 14001:2015 (environmental management). This commitment to quality and third party validation should provide abundant assurance to specifiers, users, and owners of the quality and stewardship inherent in EMSEAL’s products.
Through an ambitious and highly productive R&D program run under the “Innovate, Don’t Imitate” mantra, EMSEAL has launched over twenty new products and product iterations over the last 10 years. “The result of this program was the development of numerous breakthrough technologies,” reports Dan O’Hayer, EMSEAL’s President. “Our all-in-one fire and watertight deck, wall, split-slab and seismic joint systems in the EMSHIELD product line have changed the way structural expansion joints are designed and installed, sealed, and fire proofed. And, our RoofJoint with precompressed wall closures is the first roof expansion joint system to offer a purpose-designed transition from the roof edge to wall joints.”
In addition, the company’s award-winning Bridge Expansion Joint System is seeing rapid growth as the system of choice for properly and durably sealing bridge expansion joints in aging and new infrastructure projects worldwide.
Add to this the recently launched Submerseal, QuietJoint, QuickCover, and Colorseal-On-A-Reel products, and most recently the expansion of the SJS System line to joint sizes below 4-inches, it becomes quickly evident why growth for EMSEAL is inevitable and ongoing. These products have resulted in the establishment of five new verticals for the company in market segments previously not served. Combined with continued growth in use of its proven products like Seismic Colorseal and DSM System, whose promotion and adoption by expansion of the salesforce and inside technical teams to service geographies in which EMSEAL is not yet widely known or fully established, are driving steady year-over-year growth in demand.
“This deliberate plan to expand geographical exposure as well as application segments was implemented in 2008,” reflects O’Hayer. “We dubbed this plan ‘A wider net with a finer mesh’ and the results speak for themselves.”
EMSEAL continues to innovate both in respect to product as well as approach. Collaborative 3-D design is the key to achieving trouble-free expansion joint sealing. EMSEAL is spreading the word and helping design firms to adopt this method through in-firm AIA seminars as well as in-house SWR Institute validated training sessions. The message: ‘Think, design, detail, erect, manufacture and install in 3-D.’
EMSEAL innovations that support this 3-D approach to ensuring continuity-of-seal through direction and plane changes include precompressed Universal and Custom 90’s, Kickout Terminations and Roof Closures, as well as factory-welded transitions, terminations and shear pockets.
“It’s not just about great products,” comments EMSEAL CEO, Lester Hensley. “Successful projects, delivered on time, on or under budget, and with the lowest total-cost of ownership to the property owner are the product of a deliberate effort on the part of all involved parties. We have proved over the past 30 years that projects with trouble-free and lasting expansion joint systems are not only possible but practically achieved and routine.”