WEST ALEXANDRIA — On Wednesday, Sept. 25, more than 200 friends, family and community members attended a special celebration recognizing 100 years of business for Rexarc in the Village of West Alexandria.
According to Devon Moyer, Rexarc Director of Marketing/Sales the event included a “cookout and birthday party.”
“Rexarc showcased historical memorabilia and provided plant tours to show our welding and fabrication abilities,” Moyer said.
Rexarc was founded as The Sight Feed Generator company in West Alexandria in 1924 and is currently being run by its 4th generation family member, Rob Moyer.
Founded in 1924 by local inventor Will Swift and local business man Carl Smith, the Sight Feed Generator Company was created in a garage when the two saw an opportunity to create a bright future, according to a history of the company provided by D. Moyer.
“By the late 1920s, the success of the business pushed a move into two old tobacco barns which provided needed manufacturing and assembly space. The new location also offered a strategic shipping location with the barns being located along a regularly used railway.”
It continued:
“As the company continued to grow, so did its product line, with the company expanding the use of the Sight Feed Generator into floodlights and flare-lights. Little did the company know that these increases in application would make it a prime product that would be called upon for support of the allied efforts in WWII. As is often the case, these boom years were met with a significant downturn for the company as the equipment used for the war effort re-entered the market after it was no longer needed. To address this, the company developed larger and larger stationary generators for industrial use within the pipelines of manufacturing facilities.
“Also seeing a shift in the market towards acetylene distribution and use in cylinders, a team of engineers began applying the knowledge gained from over 20 years of generator innovations into a closed loop, on-demand cylinder filling system which was smaller, safer, and more efficient for gas producers. Again revolutionizing a market, the bright future continued and the company remained committed to developing more efficient systems within Medium Pressure Acetylene Generation Plants.
According to documentation provided by Moyer, by the 1960s, the development team at a newly renamed company of Rexarc, had developed a fully automatic generator that could be operated safely and efficiently, as well as easily support plant expansions as they were needed. “Over the next 50 years and into today, the company designed, produced, and shipped acetylene plants of various sizes to over 80 countries that meet the needs of industries and applications in acetylene gas. As the refinement of equipment design continued, other areas of development included improved purification methods and safety devices.”
In addition to its core business, Rexarc has since expanded its fabrication and welding expertise into creating custom ASME coded and non-coded vessels and tanks. “Our advanced welding capabilities combined with our vast industry knowledge and talented welding staff enable us meet the complex requirements of ASME pressure vessel fabrication effectively. We believe our commitment towards quality has contributed to our reputation as one of the competent ASME code welding service providers in the U.S,” officials noted.
Rexarc credits its 100 years of business and success to “innovation and excelence.”
“We’ve consistently invested in continuous learning, technology and creation to enhance our core products and meet the evolving needs of our customers,” the document noted.
Rexarc currently has approximately 30 full time employees including its international account managers. The company is in design and planning phase to double its capacity and enhance its manufacturing capabilities.
Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on X @emowenjr.
