Rex-Cut Abrasives Celebrates Business Milestone

Rex-Cut Abrasives (Fall River, MA), a premium abrasives manufacturer, is celebrating their 90th year in business. Their specialty abrasive material was invented in 1928 and over the following nine decades they engineered, refined, and customized cotton-fiber abrasive products for metalworking industries.

HISTORY
In 1928 Edward Hurst, an MIT graduate and process engineer, invented the technique of embedding abrasive grain in non-woven cotton-fiber while working for United Cotton Products (Boston, MA), a division of Rexall Drug and Chemical Company that was operating out of Fall River. The original product was named “Fluff-Tex,” and a patent was filed for the manufacturing process in 1935. In 1960, Edward retired from United Cotton Products and his son, Robert H. Hurst, took over management. After this transition, the business changed hands several times before officially being called Rex-Cut Products in 1969.

Up until the early 1970s, the company manufactured and sold only bulk rolls of fabric for conversion to large abrasive companies. At this time, Robert began purchasing equipment and converting the abrasive material in-house. Rex-Cut’s first finish products were Type 27 grinding wheels. Abrasive discs designed to sharpen gardening tools and lawn mower blades were second. Type 1 wheels followed and Mounted Points began being manufactured several years later. In 1978, the company built a 60,000 sq ft facility located in the Fall River Industrial Park, where they still operate today. In 2008, Rex-Cut was sold to the employees as a 100 percent ESOP company, making it one of roughly 7,000 employee-owned businesses in the United States today. The company began doing business as Rex-Cut Abrasives in 2011.

ACHIEVEMENTS
Rex-Cut is the oldest and primary manufacturer of cotton-fiber abrasive grinding and finishing products in the world. Over the years, their small line has expanded to serve metalworking industries globally. The company’s first international account was set up in the late 1970s, and now they ship to 54 countries. The product line has grown and evolved to match cutting-edge applications and industries as well. The company currently manufactures products for innovative applications, such as jet engine turbine blade profiling, automotive braze blending, and 3D printing finish work.

PARTNERS
The company began establishing their own network of industrial distributors to sell the Rex-Cut brand of finished abrasive products in the 1970s. This network was and still is instrumental in spreading the company name and products throughout the United States and worldwide. “At our 90-year mark. we are reflecting on our history, dedicated team, and recognizing our loyal business partners,” said Bob Costa, the president of Rex-Cut Abrasives. “We have a total of 228 distributors that have been with us for over 20 years, and we wouldn’t have reached this milestone without their help.”

To celebrate nine decades in manufacturing, the company will be selecting nine of their long-standing distributors to receive a gift. A celebration with all employee owners will take place in the fall. “We want to thank our dedicated distributors and employees for their years of partnership and service,” added Costa. “We are looking forward to many more years of providing safe and efficient products for metalworking industries.”

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