Equipment-wise, [it will] make a better tank, make them faster, with more quality, said Courtney Carstens, marketing communications manager at Hoover.

The facility will also use air testing and tank testing methods for new and current products and provide office space for 50 corporate employees, the company told Lube Report.

Its automated facility is an upgrade from its older manufacturing plant in Beatrice, Neb., a dry products division in Nixa, Mo., and a Houston office and warehouse that will merge with the new site.

We opened the Houston manufacturing facility to offer better service to our customers, said plant manager Scott Meints.

Hoovers industrial packaging products serve a wide range of industries with specialty chemical firms and oil and gas companies being the largest market. A smaller segment supplies the lubricant and grease industry with IBCs that hold solvents and base oil. The company also serves the automotive and food and beverage industries, including wine sellers.

Constructed from aluminum, steel, and alloys, a typical IBC holds a volume of 255 to 793 gallons.

The companys most widely used tote bin, Liquitote, is found in chemical, petrochemical, paint, water treatment, food and beverage and many other industries.

Hoover began in 1911 as the Beatrice Steel Tank Co., which specialized in manufacturing farm supplies and equipment. It grew steadily until early 1942 when WWII brought experience in constructing metal containers, signaling the evolution of the present firm. In May 1960, the company was acquired by Hoover Ball and Bearing of Ann Arbor, Mich.

Today, the privately-held Hoover is headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga. and says it is the only IBC manufacturer in North America to become a responsible care partner with the American Chemistry Council.