Harrington Acquires CIS & Crist
Harrington Industrial Plastics announced the acquisition of Commercial Industrial Supply (CIS), in partnership with CIS’s owner, Ron Heisler and the Crist Group (Crist), in partnership with the company’s owner, Paul Crist.

CIS, based in Rock Hill, SC, is a leading distributor of thermoplastic fittings, valves, pipe, consumable filtration, and other products and key suppliers that align closely with Harrington. Heisler and his team have built CIS into a highly respected company with a loyal customer base, differentiated inventory breadth and depth, and industry- leading same day fulfilment. CIS has developed a particularly strong position in the online sales channel that has allowed the company to tap an underserved segment of the industry and consistently outgrow the overall market. The acquisition will help accelerate Harrington’s own e-commerce and online lead generation capabilities. CIS serves heavy industrial contractors, individual contractors, OEMs, and end users such as military, industrial plants, labs, and universities.

Dave Abercrombie, CEO of Harrington, said, “CIS’s online capabilities align well with Harrington’s vision for the future and will augment our own push into e-commerce. With CIS located outside of Charlotte, we are increasing density in an important and growing region to better serve our customer base.”

Ron Heisler, who will be joining Harrington to drive the combined business forward, said, “Commercial Industrial Supply has enjoyed very strong growth over the last decade. While our organic growth has allowed us to serve a wide range of industries throughout the U.S., our new partnership with Harrington gives us an opportunity to not only expand our footprint but also to bring new products and services to our customers.”

Headquartered in Woodland, CA, Crist is a leading specialty fabricator of critical fluid process components and assemblies with a focus on the semiconductor end market and applications in other markets including medical. Crist’s highly technical fabrication capabilities include infrared fusion welding, hot gas welding, ultrasonic welding, CNC machining, laser drilling and etching, precision flaring, and clean room preparation and packaging. Crist developed an expertise in fluoropolymer materials while he was an executive at Harrington in the 1990’s, and he founded the company in 2000.

“Paul Crist and his team have built a strong fabrication operation that is well-known for its unique technical competencies in fluoropolymer materials, particularly in the rapidly growing semiconductor segment. The acquisition is highly complementary to our business and will enhance our ability to provide differentiated, value-add products and services to our customers,” said Abercrombie.

Crist, who is joining the Harrington team and will continue to run the Crist division, said, “Crist Group has succeeded in achieving substantial growth and developing strong customer relationships, and we believe that with Harrington’s resources and distribution network we can further support our customers and broaden our reach.”

For more information, contact Amy Landeros, Harrington, 14480 Yorba Ave., Chino, CA 91710, 909-597-8641, E-mail: alanderos@hipco.com, Web: www.hipco.com.