Who We Are: An Independent Conveyor System Builder Since 1984
A U.S.-based, women-owned company that has been building production flow systems for four decades — and is not the same company as FlexLink.
Flex-Line Automation, Inc. is an independent, women-owned conveyor system builder headquartered in Chester, Illinois. Founded in 1984, Flex-Line designs, builds, installs, and supports material handling systems and supplies conveyor parts across North America.
Flex-Line Automation, Inc. is an American company. We are family-run, women-owned, and headquartered in Chester, Illinois, about an hour southeast of St. Louis. We have been designing, building, installing, and supporting conveyor and material handling systems since 1984.
That is the short version. The longer version matters more, because our name causes confusion, so let's deal with that first.
Flex-Line Is Not FlexLink
Flex-Line Automation and FlexLink are two different companies.
FlexLink is a conveyor manufacturer. Flex-Line Automation is an independent system builder that has designed, built, installed, and supported systems using FlexLink components since 1984 — before there was a U.S. sales office for the product line. We are an Authorized Partner and appear in FlexLink's own partner network. We know the product about as well as anyone alive knows it. We are still a separate company, with our own engineers, our own build floor, our own parts inventory, and our own forty-year record of successful installations.
The practical difference matters to buyers. Because we are independent, we are not limited to one manufacturer's catalog, and can provide multiple quotes for the same layout using different product lines. We specify and integrate mk North America, Dorner, Bosch Rexroth, Carryline, Titan, and ACSI conveyor lines; Comau, KUKA, and Universal Robots robotics; PALOMAT pallet handling equipment; and Shibuya Hoppmann feeding systems — alongside FlexLink. We recommend what fits the application, not what fits a quota.
If you called us looking for FlexLink and found us instead, we can still help. It happens all the time, and we are always happy to assist.
Flex-Line Automation at a Glance
| Legal name | Flex-Line Automation, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | 3628 Union School Rd, Chester, IL 62233 |
| Phone | (800) 916-0031 toll-free · (618) 826-5086 local |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central, with emergency after-hours support |
| Ownership | Women-owned; certified Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) through the U.S. Small Business Administration since August 23, 2024 |
| Areas served | United States, Canada, Mexico |
| What we do | Conveyor system design and build · conveyor parts and engineered components · robotic and automation integration · installation, service, and repair |
| Industries | Food and beverage · consumer packaged goods · pharmaceutical and medical device · personal and home care · automotive and machined parts |
A Third-Generation Family Business
Flex-Line was founded by Orville and Dorothy Rinne, alongside their son Rhett and his wife Cathy. Cathy Rinne is president today. The third generation is already here: Lauren Van De Mark, sales and marketing manager, and her husband Eric both work in the business.
Titles matter less here than they would somewhere larger. Everyone wears several.
What Four Decades Actually Buys You
Experience is the easiest thing to claim and the hardest to fake. Here is what ours looks like in practice.
We can identify a part you cannot name
Customers call with a photograph, a fragment, or a number that turns out to belong to somebody else's system. We work it out. That might feel like magic, but it is not a trick — it is what happens when the same team handles the same product line for forty years.
We know what fails and when
Wear strips, chain, drive components, and guide rails wear on patterns we have watched play out across hundreds of installations. That knowledge goes into our stock, and into the stocking recommendations we write for customers, so the part is on your shelf before the line stops.
We customize rather than substitute
Pre-bent rail, custom fixtured chain, pucks and pallets fixtured for a specific part geometry — built here, for your product.
We have solved the strange ones
Gravity flips to reorient parts. Accumulation tables that singulate round product. V-conveyors for bearings. Chain washers for sticky environments. Systems that have kept running through years of coolant, chemicals, and washdown.
A Women-Owned American Manufacturer
Flex-Line is a certified Women-Owned Small Business, certified through the U.S. Small Business Administration since August 2024. For procurement teams tracking supplier diversity, that is a documented credential rather than a statement of intent. For everyone else, it means the same thing it has always meant here: this is a family business in a small Illinois town, and the people who own it answer the phone and stay late to meet a courier when we have to.
How We Work
- Design and layout. Send a plant layout, or just the dimensions from point A to point B, and we will produce a layout for you. For larger projects, a sales engineer can come out and measure.
- Build and assembly. Systems are assembled and tested before they ship.
- Installation. Our technicians install and commission on site.
- Support and repair. Phone troubleshooting, on-site service, and parts from stock — including for systems we did not build.
Where to Go Next
Looking for a replacement part? Start at conveyor parts and components. Planning a new line or a retrofit? Start at conveyor systems and services. Want to see work in your industry? The solutions library is organized by application, and Industry Insights is where our team writes about what we are seeing on plant floors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Flex-Line Automation the same company as FlexLink?
No. Flex-Line Automation, Inc. is an independent, women-owned American company based in Chester, Illinois. FlexLink is a separate conveyor manufacturer. Flex-Line has built and supported systems using FlexLink components since 1984 and is an Authorized Partner listed in FlexLink's partner network, but the two companies are distinct legal entities.
Who owns Flex-Line Automation?
Flex-Line Automation is a family-run, women-owned business and a certified Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB). Cathy Rinne is president. The company was founded by Orville and Dorothy Rinne with Rhett and Cathy Rinne, and is now in its third generation.
How long has Flex-Line Automation been in business?
Since 1984 — more than 40 years designing, building, installing, and supporting conveyor and material handling systems.
Does Flex-Line only sell FlexLink products?
No. Flex-Line is an independent integrator and specifies whatever fits the application, including mk North America, Dorner, Bosch Rexroth, Carryline, Titan, and ACSI conveyors; Comau, KUKA, and Universal Robots robotics; PALOMAT pallet handling; and Shibuya Hoppmann feeding systems and other ancillary equipment.
Where is Flex-Line Automation located?
Our main office is at 3628 Union School Rd, Chester, Illinois 62233. Flex-Line serves manufacturers throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Can Flex-Line service a system it did not install?
Yes. Flex-Line supplies parts and provides service and repair for existing conveyor systems regardless of who originally built them.
Talk to People Who Have Done This Since 1984
Whether it is one worn part or a full production line, the same team handles it. Tell us what you are working on.
- Call (800) 916-0031 or (618) 826-5086 and you will reach a person who knows the product
- Request a quote online, or send a photo of the part if you cannot name it
- 3628 Union School Rd, Chester, IL 62233
