Blow molder Hub buys, relocates Quality Service Products

Hub Plastics Inc. has acquired Quality Service Products Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, and is relocating the operation.

Both companies blow mold stock shapes and custom bottles. Hub's headquarters and one production facility are in Blacklick, Ohio, less than 15 miles east of Columbus. The company is moving QSP's six blow molding machines, stock and custom molds and other assets to Hub's second plant, in Geneva, Ohio, about 50 miles northeast of Cleveland.

QSP employs six, down from 13 in recent years. Brian Althoff, Hub sales and marketing director, said by phone Oct. 19 that QSP's warehouse will remain open and continue to ship products until it depletes its inventory.

Nelson Jeck Jr., QSP president, said in an Oct. 19 phone interview that he and his father founded the company in 1978. Nelson Jeck Sr., who was active in QSP into his early 90s, died Sept. 20 at age 97.

Jeck Jr., after 44 years in the industry, and having suffered a stroke about six years ago, said he plans to retire, but will aid in the company's transition.

"The machines are all gone. But it's amazing how much you can accumulate" over the years, he said as he helped clear out the Columbus site.

The deal closed Sept. 16. Financial details were not disclosed.

QSP specialized in high density and high molecular weight polyethylene bottles and had annual sales of about $1.6 million.

Hub uses high and low density PE, polypropylene, PET, styrene butadiene copolymers and post-consumer resins. Hub serves a range of markets: automotive, food and beverage, high-value personal care, pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial chemical.

Its estimated sales were about $18.5 million in 2020, when it ranked as the No. 65 North American blow molder in Plastics News' annual survey. At that time it had an estimated 130 employees and 47 machines. Althoff declined to provide current figures.

Hub gained the 80,000-square-foot Geneva site in 2019 when it purchased bottle maker Pro-Gram Plastics Inc.

Hub is a portfolio company of Little Mountain Industries Inc., a private equity firm in Beachwood, Ohio.

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