Pawling Corp.

Founded: 1945
Locations: Pawling and Wassaic
Websites: www.pawling.com , www.presray.com

When Pawling Rubber Co. was founded in 1945 by Raymond Thornburg and Smith Johnson, there were 15 employees manufacturing gaskets for ammunition cases for the military in a 25,000-square-foot building. Since then, the company has evolved into Pawling Corp.”“ Engineered Products Division, Pawling Corp. ”“ Architectural Products Division, and Presray Corp., with a combined workforce of more than 300 employees and two plants totaling 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The transition wasn”™t always easy.

In the beginning, Pawling Rubber Co. manufactured basic rubber extrusions, but as the business grew, it became more vertically integrated. It began mixing its own rubber and added several product lines such as matting, wall protection systems and inflatable rubber seals. In 1955, Presray was acquired, adding the niche business of highly technical rubber seals used in applications such as aerospace, nuclear power and powder bulk manufacturing equipment. By broadening its focus, Pawling was able to avoid the fate of many of its early competitors, who focused solely on supplying the automotive industry and who eventually found themselves bankrupt.

Diversification has helped Pawling survive the ups and downs of the past 65 years. Throughout this time there have been many successes with the company branching out into new product lines, but there have also been painful failures. A key setback occurred in the early 1970s when a roof over the rubber-mixing department collapsed from ice buildup and a week later potentially salvageable ingredients were lost to a flood. The silver lining to this story is that it helped spur the development of Presray”™s flood barriers.

In 2005, the company was reorganized into its two main business groups. The Engineered Products group is in Pawling and manufactures a spectrum of technical rubber and silicone seals and gaskets. The Protective Systems Division is in Wassaic and supplies impact protection products and specialty doors sold in the construction industry. While the two business groups operate independent of each other, the overall entity comprises Pawling Corp.

The Architectural Products Division is currently working on replacing entire product lines of PVC plastic products with other materials deemed more “green.” According to Jason Smith, president of the Architectural Division and Presray, “This is a very large initiative that requires new material formulations, new machinery, new tooling, new certifications by agencies such as UL (Underwriters Laboratory), and essentially a new outlook on the whole manufacturing process. We have made large investments to undertake these types of initiatives, but we feel the payback, both financial and competitive, will be acceptable.”

The Engineered Products Division has a project in the works as well that will aid the growing environmental testing industry.

Pawling has been a member of the Council of Industry since 1952 and has come to rely on the council”™s training programs to keep their staff educated on the full spectrum of ever changing regulatory laws to remain compliant. “Other non-regulatory training programs such as the Six Sigma courses on Lean Manufacturing represent the most current management training available anywhere,” Smith said. “Just like we try to do with our business, the Council of Industry works hard to stay current and competitive in a fast changing landscape.”

Pawling is doing well in these times. The key is good clear marketing materials, quality products, and competitive pricing, all supported by reliable customer service. Of course this takes a lot of hard work performed by their dedicated workforce.

It is not just any one thing that has made Pawling Corp. successful for the past 65 years, it is the combination of diversification, vision, dedication and hard work that has kept the company continually growing, evolving and thriving.

 

 

Editor”™s note: For the past three years, the Council of Industry Newsletter has featured members in its monthly profile articles. In an effort to promote manufacturing throughout the Hudson Valley, the CI Member Profile will now also appear once a month in HV Biz.

 

“The Council of Industry is happy to be working with Westfair and HV Biz,” said Harold King, executive vice president of the Council of Industry. “This partnership will help us to inform Hudson Valley residents of the wide variety of products that are made in the region and the important role manufacturing plays in our economy.”

“We are delighted to be working with the Council of Industry. Our mission, at HV Biz, is very much like the council”™s; to provide access to a variety of business opportunities, news and information. Together we can aim to increase that access and bring more recognition to the dynamic and exciting Hudson Valley in which we live and work,” said Dee DelBello, CEO/publisher of Westfair Communications.