The unused railroad spur at 341 W. Oak St. of Kent has a new owner: Renewable Lubricants, a 30-year-old family business. The purchase has the potential to benefit not only Renewable Lubricants, but Portage County businesses as well.
The Hartville-based company manufactures environmentally friendly lubricants, greases and cleaners primarily from oleic-rich vegetable oils. All its manufacturing is done in house.
“We make racing motor oils, high performance motor oils, diesel motor oils; we make air tool oils, industrial circulation oils and metal working fluids,” said Vice President Ben Garmier, who represents the second generation of business leadership. The company also makes petroleum-free, food-grade lubricants for food manufacturers such as Kellogg’s or Donatos Pizza, for example.
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The acquisition of the railway spur means that Renewable Lubricants will be able to purchase materials at a more competitive price and in larger quantities. However, he is not the only one who will reap these benefits.
“The rail site in general was a good opportunity because it’s only about a mile from Land O’Lakes and other facilities up there,” Garmier said. “So we’re looking to pick up and help some businesses in the local Portage County area grow, whether it’s contributing plastics or vegetable oils; Land O’Lakes uses a lot of vegetable oils. They use canola and olive oil to make ho. soft spreads.”
His purchase of the rail line has already piqued the interest of some area companies, including Land O’Lakes.
Daniel Raicevich, vice president of East Coast sales for Renewable Lubricants, said that at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday for the rail line, three representatives from area plastics companies approached the company. They were asking about the use of the spur for bulk storage of basic materials used in the manufacture of plastics.
A planned Menards manufacturing and distribution center in Ravenna may also benefit from an independently owned and operated rail line.
Behind the railway spur and across the Mogadore road are parcels of land that could be used for industrial space. Now that Renewable Lubricants has spent the money to make the rail line operational, the area is more attractive for development because a company won’t have to worry about rehabilitating the rail line.
“For them, Kent has more options to sell this property to a good industrial business that can move there,” Garmier said. “If they need to carry chemicals, if they need to carry wood, if they need to carry plastic, whatever, we have that capability there.”
It will also allow local plastic companies to take on larger contracts, according to Raicevich.
“Because they can get higher volumes of product, which will also bring in more dollars, which will bring more dollars into the community, which in turn should create, I’ll say ‘should’, more jobs, than create a base fiscal a little better,” Raicevich said. “The consequences of what we’re doing are big, and that’s why the city of Kent is on board.”
Contact reporter Derek Kreider at Dkreider@Gannett.com
