A Toledo manufacturer of cleaning chemicals and floor care equipment is apparently planning to
consolidate its operations in the former Cooper-Standard Hose Plant at 400 Van Camp Road.
Rumored in the works for months, the property was sold last week to Brentine Realty Inc. for $4.2
million, according to the Wood County Auditor’s website. Brentine’s mailing address is listed as 400 Van
Camp Road. The sale includes the building and entire 34.76-acre parcel bounded on the south by Van Camp
Road and the east by Fairview Avenue.
Bowling Green officials have been aware of Betco Corp.’s interest in the site since shortly after
Cooper-Standard announced it was closing the host plant in mid 2011. Betco’s headquarters are at 1011
Brown Ave., Toledo.
Sue Clark, director of the Bowling Green Community Development Foundation, said the firm is determining
how it would remodel the structure for its use and is not ready to make any announcements.
It is not known how many jobs the operation would bring to the city.
Betco manufactures an extensive line of cleaning products used in the food service, floor care and a
variety of industrial environments. It also manufactures floor scrubbers, vacuums and related floor care
equipment.
The sale joins Thursday’s groundbreaking for an 80,000-square-foot expansion of Rosenboom Machine and
Tool, the recent announcement of a new $11.9 million Ohio BCI&I lab at Bowling Green State
University, and plans by REXAM to bring a different division of its operation to its vacant plant in
Bellard Business Park, as positive economic development signs for the city.
The hose plant officially ceased operations March 30, when the final 50 employees were laid off. There
had been 200 employees when the closing was announced. The plant was built in 1993 and was originally
owned by Cooper Tire and Rubber Co., of Findlay.
All of the work has been moved to a Cooper-Standard plant in Mount Sterling, Ky. Initially plans called
for some of the work to move to Mexico.
Cooper-Standard continues to operate its seal plant on North Main Street with about 320 employees.
