AL-KO Kober Corp. buys out RBW Industries Inc.

AL-KO Kober Corp. announced it has acquired RBW Industries, Inc., of Chino, Calif. As a result of the acquisition, RBW, a manufacturer of recreational vehicle accessories, becomes a part of the AL-KO KOBER GROUP.
The parties agreed to keep the purchase price confidential.
AL-KO, with its headquarters in Germany, is the world market leader in the RV chassis and component parts segment of the market. In 2007, the AL-KO KOBER GROUP generated sales of 750 million Euro or $1.153 billion in U.S. dollars.
With 50 factories and locations on all five continents, AL-KO employs more than 4,500 world-wide. AL-KO has been in business since 1931 and entered the U.S. market in 1984 with U.S. headquarters in Elkhart, Ind.
The local Al-Ko Kober plant is located on South Kennedy Street in Shawnee.
The acquisition of RBW Industries strengthens AL-KO’s position in the U.S. and North American markets, company officials explained.
At five plants in the U.S., AL-KO is a market leader in the production of frames, axles, hubs, drums, and brakes for the RV, horse, stock, and light trailer industry. 
With the acquisition of RBW, AL-KO will expand its product range to include slide out systems, hitches, landing gear, pin boxes, bed lifts, and TV brackets.
“With this acquisition we will become a full-line supplier in a fast-growing and highly competitive environment,” John Juliano, president of AL-KO’s U.S. operations said.
 “For some time we have been purchasing products from RBW in order to offer our customers a single source to provide for their needs.  The acquisition brings everything within AL-KO,” Juliano said.
“We are very pleased that RBW is now part of the AL-KO KOBER GROUP which is a worldwide technology leader in our industry,” Larry Revelino, former president and major stockholder of RBW Industries, said.  Revelino will remain with the company following the acquisition. AL-KO plans to expand the production capacity at the former RBW location in Chino with additional investments and expects the majority of RBW’s employees to remain with the company under the new ownership.
For Roland Kober, spokesman of the Board of the AL-KO KOBER GROUP, the acquisition has strategic importance.
Kober said,  “We have been a full-line supplier in Europe for many years which has allowed us to maintain a close relationship with our customers. This has proven to be a successful strategy for our company.”
Kober said the board expects the same kind of success will be possible with the addition of RBW products to the AL-KO offerings in the U.S. which will help fuel growth and market share.