Burke announces partners for CSPE geomembranes

San Jose, Calif.-based Burke Industries announced in a Sept. 8 press release that it has established exclusive strategic partnerships with Colorado Lining International Inc. (CLI) and Layfield Environmental Systems Corp. (Layfield) for the distribution and fabrication of all Burke chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) geomembrane products and systems.

The two companies will manage Burke’s CSPE geomembranes in the United States and Canada. CLI is based in Parker, Colo., a Denver suburb; Layfield is based in Edmonton, AB, Canada.

The press release noted that the partnership agreements do not prevent other third-party companies from working with Burke’s CSPE products; but Burke will no longer handle direct sales or distribution.

“We are a manufacturer,” said Stephen Roades, vice president of Burke’s Liners, Covers & Roofing Division. “That is our core area. We are deeply focused on quality control, and we are insistent on quality control from manufacture through installation. With this agreement, we can focus exclusively on our area—manufacturing—while two of the most trusted and experienced installers and fabricators in the world can oversee that end.”

The press release said that both CLI and Layfield have records of working with CSPE geomembranes, especially with the recent resurgence in use for long-term design applications such as reservoir liners and floating cover systems. CSPE products have demonstrated service lives of 25 to 30 years or more in exposed environments around the world, according to the release.

CLI and Layfield also have sales networks within the U.S. and internationally. “No other fabricators and installers have this strong vertical network,” said Roades. “We are very happy to continue working with them.”

The release stated that the three companies will work together to build and support the market, including further development of CSPE geomembranes for containment applications, while taking responsibility in their primary areas for quality control. This would include raw material management, training programs, and material handling, in addition to distribution, fabrication, and installation.