The acquisition came as a result of splitting All State Industries Inc. into a non-metallic- parts manufacturing business and a belting distribution business (ASB). Marubeni said that it expects ASB to be a platform for US growth and further related investments. In addition, Marubeni is looking to create synergy with Belterra Corp., which has been a Marubeni wholly-owned Canadian belt distribution company since 2007. ASB's corporate presence in Iowa signifies the importance of the Midwest region as one of the largest belt-demand markets. Operating through its strategically-located regional facilities in the US, ASB will continue to serve original equipment manufacturers' end-user customers and select industrial distributors. Additionally, ASB's business is complementary to Marubeni's long-standing belt distribution strategy, which focuses on importing and distributing products manufactured from natural as well as synthetic rubber.Marubeni said that with the acquisition of ASB it has positioned itself as a strong participant in one of the most important rubber distribution markets.