When a company experiences ownership transition – especially if it happens more than once – it can be difficult for customers to keep track of all of the changes that go with it. However, when its products and services are of the highest quality, customers will keep coming back for more, no matter who’s in charge.
That’s certainly been the story of LewisGoetz (formerly RBH Mill & Elevator) of Kansas City, MO, Wichita, KS, and Norfolk, NE, which has been a one-stop shop for grain, seed, milling, and fertilizer companies since 1975.
Recently acquired by ERIKS Company, which has a long history of growth through acquisitions, LewisGoetz continues to produce exceptional products and offer excellent service to the grain industry. Still, with so many acquisitions over the years, it has been challenging for the company to keep up, according to Teri Held, service center manager.
“Our biggest challenge is that people think we have gone out of business because they don’t recognize our new name. In reality, we have more to offer to our customers now than ever before,” she says.
Grain Journal recently spoke with Held to learn more about the company’s diverse history and what has enabled it to succeed in the competitive grain market.
Company History
LewisGoetz is a company that was built through a series of acquisitions. In 1935, the Boston Woven Hose & Rubber Company of Pittsburgh (PA) was founded by Ben Gooding, Sr. The company would later establish a Chicago, IL service center and, by the early 1950s, change its name to Gooding Rubber Company.
By 1982, however, the Pittsburgh and Chicago service centers had split. The Pittsburgh-based Gooding Rubber Company at that time was made up of two locations – Pittsburgh and Beckley, WV – and was dedicated to serving the steel and coal industries of the region. It was at that time that Ben Gooding, Jr., sold the Pittsburgh company to Andy Lewis and Dave Goetz.
In an attempt to diversify locations and industrial markets, the company embarked on a series of acquisitions starting in 1985 with the purchase of Richmond Rubber Company. By the time the company changed its name to LewisGoetz in 1992, the consolidation of the North American industrial rubber distribution market was well underway.
In 2008, LewisGoetz made its first foray into the ag industry when it purchased RBH/Mill & Elevator Supply, Inc. and RBH/Industrial, Inc., a provider of industrial supplies to the ag and industrial markets in the Midwest. This acquisition provided LewisGoetz access to growing agricultural markets in Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, as well as product line expansion.
In 2011, LewisGoetz was acquired by ERIKS, a Dutch-based provider of industrial products, helping to make LewisGoetz a part of a global service provider.
In 2018, LewisGoetz once again will be undergoing a transition to align with its global parent company by changing its name to ERIKS.
Products and Services
From nearly 90 locations throughout the United States and Canada, LewisGoetz offers a variety of products ranging from conveyor belts, bucket elevators, and augers to fasteners, drag chain and paddles, splicing equipment, sprockets, and other accessories. In addition, the company carries a variety of specialized industrial hoses, fittings, and safety equipment for the grain industry.
“We’re not just selling grain products but also products on the hose and gasket side. A lot of grain facilities use hoses and gaskets; they just don’t realize that they can buy it all from the same place,” says Held.
Three of its locations – Kansas City, MO; Norfolk, NE; and Wichita, KS (formerly RBH Mill & Elevator Supply) – are suppliers of material handling equipment and replacement parts for the grain, feed, milling, seed, and food industries. They provide products and services throughout the United States and the world. Although LewisGoetz is part of a global company, “we also have focused and individualized service,” says Held.
Keys to Success
When it comes to the company’s success in the grain industry, Held says the acquisition by ERIKS certainly helped expand LewisGoetz’ reach in the international market. Domestically, however, what has made the difference is the idea that the company is a convenient, one-stop shop for nearly all of its customers’ needs.
“That’s kind of been our service center’s vision: Customers can call, get their belts, buckets, pulleys, and drives – pretty much whatever they need to run on a daily basis. They can call us; they can order it at one place and not have to call around to five different vendors to buy five different products,” she points out.
As a result, Held says, LewisGoetz hopes to save customers time, so they can get on with more important things than chasing down parts.
“One thing that sets us apart from other vendors, I’d like to say, is that we have a fast response time. I get compliments from customers about how quickly we handle things like quotes.”
“We’re hopefully saving them time from having to track down all these other vendors to get everything they’re looking for. We consolidate it down to one quote for everything they need. Really, we do the work, so they can continue to focus on their businesses,” she adds.
