Supplier News

SCM Chemicals, the third-largest producer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in the world, recently announced a price increase of $0.04/lb in the U.S. for its titanium dioxide products. This follows SCM Chemicals' recent U.S.$0.03/lb price increase for its anatase products in the paper and other anatase consuming markets. In Canada, prices will increase C$0.06/lb for all titanium dioxide products. The company cited rising manufacturing costs combined with unrealistically low prices as the reason for the increase.

Albright & Wilson Americas has increased the price of Tolcide MBT (methylenebis (thiocyanate)), a biocide for controlling the growth of microorganisms in industrial processes, by $0.45/lb. The increase is in response to rising raw material and production costs.

NAME CHANGES

Garlock Mechanical Packing Division recently announced that the division's name has changed to Garlock Sealing Technologies. The name was changed to more accurately reflect Garlock's focus as a producer of seals, gaskets, packings, and expansion joints for industrial applications.

The board of directors of Albarrie Naue Ltd., a subsidiary of National Seal Co. (NSC) and the manufacturer of Bentofix Thermal Lock Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL), has approved a company name change from Albarrie Naue Ltd. to Bentofix Technologies Inc. (BTI). The company's products are widely used in the construction of municipal landfills and in industrial containment applications.

Bearings Inc., an independent distributor of industrial component technologies, and its subsidiaries, Bruening, Dixie, King, and Mainline, are now known as Applied Industrial Technologies.

JOINT VENTURES

Computational Systems Inc. (CSI), Knoxville, Tenn., a supplier of advanced, integrated technologies, has announced a joint business alliance with The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, Warren, N.J., a leading property and casualty firm. The alliance was formed to enhance the machinery and predictive maintenance services available to Chubb's customers. Chubb can now provide additional reliability services to help reduce maintenance costs and improve product quality for a variety of machinery intensive industries. Also recently, as part of an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) agreement, CSI has agreed to develop a new firmware for its existing digital imaging instrumentation that will be marketed as the Everest ImageSaver by Everest Imaging, Austin, Texas.

PID Inc. has reached an agreement with Microsoft Corp. to incorporate Microsoft's Visual Basic programming system into its flagship product OpenBatch, a software application that provides equipment modeling, recipe/formula management, real-time execution, electronic batch record, and simulation functions for use in batch automation and control.

Allegheny Teledyne has announced its continued commitment to a conversion agreement with Avesta Sheffield to produce stainless steel bar. The announcement was in response to speculation that the agreement had been impacted by the recent merger of Allegheny Ludlum Corp. and Teledyne Inc.

Aspen Technology Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., a supplier of computer-aided chemical engineering, online automation, and process information management software, announced an International Alliance Agreement with DSM N.V., a Dutch-based international industrial group focusing on chemicals and materials. AspenTech will provide DSM sites worldwide with AspenTech's software and services.

Ingersoll-Rand Co. has purchased a majority stake in Wadco Tools Ltd., one of India's leading manufacturers of pneumatic power tools and accessories for industrial assembly applications.

EXPANSIONS/MODERNIZATIONS

Industrial Fabrication & Repair Inc. (IFR) has purchased a Cincinnati Milacron FALCON 300 Turning Center with Acramatic 2100 Computer Numerical Control (CNC). The computerized lathe will be used to service annual and monthly maintenance contracts for steel and paper industry clients, further solidifying IFR's abilities to act as a single supply source for its clients' production needs.

CORfine Inc. has added 2,000 ft2 of new space at its manufacturing facilities in Muncie, Ind. The new space will serve as a display and demonstration area for the company's CORfine die-cutting machines, allowing customers to evaluate the machines' capabilities for die cutting a wide variety of materials.

Berclain Group Inc., a leader in manufacturing synchronization and scheduling and producer of MOOPI software, has expanded its corporate headquarters and moved to 3175, ch. des Quatre-Bourgeois, Ste. 300, Sainte-Foy, Que., Canada.

ISO CERTIFICATION

Nalco Chemical Co. recently announced that its Customer Analytical Department, located at the company's headquarters in Naperville, Ill., has received ISO 9002 certification. Nalco's Customer Analytical Department, which analyzes water, deposits, and other customer samples, is one of only a few laboratories in the world to have all phases of its operations certified.

Albany International Corp.'s research company, located in Mansfield, Mass., has been awarded ISO 9002 certification. The research company is a provider of consulting, research, development, and manufacturing services related to polymers, fibers, textile materials, and their composites.

The manufacturing facilities of Buckman Laboratorios Ltda, in Sumare, SP, Brazil, successfully passed its fifth ISO 9002 audit.

Stockham Valves & Fittings was recently certified for ISO 9001 registration. This certification applies to valve manufacturing plants in Birmingham and Tarrant, Ala., and also to Stockham's Conroe, Texas, operations.

NEW FACILITIES

Applied Industrial Technologies (formerly known as Bearings Inc.), an independent distributor of industrial component technologies, has opened a new regional distribution center in Atlanta, Ga. The 155,000 ft2 facility supports the efficient supply of its customers' production facilities in seven southeastern states.

To fulfill all the roll-packaging requirements for Chesapeake Corp., a manufacturer of paper products, Star Paper Tube Inc. has opened a facility in West Point, Va. The new facility will receive Chesapeake's orders electronically to expedite delivery.

RELOCATIONS

Due to increased sales, production, and employment, Ultrasonic Arrays Inc., Woodinville, Wash., has moved its corporate offices to 18538 142nd Ave., NE, Woodinville, Wash., 98072.

ACQUISITIONS/MERGERS

MagneTek, a manufacturer of integrated electrical products, has acquired an equity position in Automation Systems and Products Inc., a developer of factory automation software based in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The alliance strengthens MagneTek's software capabilities to meet the growing demand for automation control systems.

GEO Specialty Chemicals Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio, a manufacturer of clay products and aluminum-based chemicals, recently announced its acquisition of Cytec Industries' Aluminum Sulfate business. The transaction makes GEO Specialty Chemicals a major national supplier of alum and aluminum-based coagulants and floculants for water treating applications and the paper industry. The assets acquired include seven manufacturing plants in the Southeast, and a clay processing plant and kaolin clay reserves in Andersonville, Ga.

Flour Daniel Inc. and Marshall Contractors Inc. have announced that Marshall has joined Flour Daniel. Marshall, which provides specialized construction services, will operate as a wholly-owned Flour Daniel subsidiary, and will continue to serve clients through its current management team and locations.

HK Systems Inc., an integrator of automated material management systems, has acquired the Material Handling Systems division and VantageWare Software subsidiary of Western Atlas Inc. (formerly Litton Unit Handling Systems).

Nalco Chemical Co., Naperville, Ill., has agreed to acquire the water treatment service chemicals business of Albright & Wilson in the U.K.

Motion Industries Inc., the world's largest distributor of bearings, mechanical, electrical, and fluid power components, has acquired one of the Texas Panhandle area's leading distributors, Amarillo Bearing Corp. of Amarillo and Dumas, Texas. The acquisition follows Motion's strategic plan for strengthening its competitive position throughout its markets.

Intellution Inc., a supplier of industrial automation software, has acquired Wizdom Controls Inc., a leader in soft logic control (SLC) software. The acquisition enables Intellution to immediately add soft logic control technology and IEC1131-3 Universal Configuration to its entire product line.

GIW Industries Inc., a manufacturer of high-performance, low-maintenance slurry pumps and industrial castings, has announced its total acquisition by KSB America Corp., a subsidiary of Germany-based KSB AG. KSB began buying into GIW in 1988, completing the full acquisition this past year. The purchase allows GIW to more aggressively pursue international contracts.

Brown and Caldwell, an environmental engineering and consulting firm, acquired Environmental Training Consultants Inc. (ETC), a Corvallis, Ore.- based supplier of training, wastewater treatment, and plant operations services to municipalities and industries in the U.S. and abroad. With the acquisition, Brown and Caldwell seeks to strengthen its presence in the industrial wastewater market and expand its design/
build services to include operations.

McLaren/Hart Environmental Engineering Corp. has purchased Enviroscope Inc., a Michigan-based life-cycle management, environmental management, and hazardous materials training firm. The transaction augments McLaren/
Hart's core environmental engineering and consulting practices and establishes McLaren/Hart as an experienced provider of ISO 14000 and environmental management systems training services.

The U.S. subsidiaries of FLS miljø Inc., an environmental division of FLS Industries headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, have merged into one company. The new company, comprised of Lodge-Cottrell, Epscon, and AirPol, is called FLS miljø Inc., and has headquarters in Houston, Texas, and sales offices in Parsippany, N.J. The merger is aimed at combining the product strength of FLS and Lodge-Cottrell electrostatic precipitators, Airpol's wet and dry scrubbing systems, and Epscon's rebuild and retrofit capabilities.

G.E.M. Illinois Inc., a subsidiary of French firm General de Mesure et Maintenance Electronique (GMME), acquired the B+K Precision Instruments division of Maxtec International Corp. B+K manufactures and sells electronic test and measurement equipment.

MARKETING/LICENSING

Thiele Kaolin Co. of Sandersville, Ga., has recently appointed Omya Inc. of Proctor, Vt., as its agent for paper clay sales for eastern Canada. Omya is a leader in calcium carbonate and Thiele is a major U.S. producer of kaolin products for the paper industry. The alliance is expected to provide new opportunities for the Eastern Canadian paper
market.

IEF Werner GmbH of Furtwangen, Germany, has appointed Pacific Bearing of Rockford, Ill., as its exclusive distributor for all of North America. Werner is a leading manufacturer of linear motion systems and components for the automation industry.

Effective Management Systems Inc. (EMS), Milwaukee, Wis., the first provider of pre-integrated manufacturing software, has reached an agreement with LG-EDS Systems Inc. that includes a commitment by the Korea-based company to purchase and distribute more than $2.5 million of EMS manufacturing software over the next three years.

Dupont Quality Management & Technology (800) 601-3733
Strategy of Experimentation: Feb. 18-20, Wilmington, Del.

Infraspection Institute (802) 985-2500
Level-I Infraspection Institute Certified Infrared Thermographer Course: Feb. 10-14, Charlotte, N.C.

Level-II Infraspection Institute Certified Infrared Thermographer Course: Mar. 10-14, Tampa, Fla.

Nace International (713) 492-0535
Basic Corrosion: Mar. 16-21, Houston, Texas

Cathodic Protection-An Introduction: Mar. 16-21, Houston, Texas

Cathodic Protection-Theory & Data Interpretation: Mar. 16-21, Houston, Texas

Coating Inspection Training-Session I & II: Feb. 16-21, New Orleans, La.; Feb. 23-28, Boston, Mass.; Mar. 16-21, Houston, Texas

Coating Inspection Training-Session III: Feb. 16-20, New Orleans, La.; Mar. 16-20, Houston, Texas

Designing for Corrosion Control: Mar. 16-21, Houston, Texas

Successful Coating and Lining of Concrete: Feb. 24-25, New Orleans, La.

Water Treatment & Corrosion Control in Water Systems: Feb. 27-28, Chicago, Ill.

New Standard Institute (203) 783-1582
Maintenance Planning & Scheduling: Feb. 24-26, New Orleans, La.; Mar. 17-19, San Francisco, Calif.

Maintenance Storerooms: Feb. 27-28, New Orleans, La.

Project Management: Mar. 20-21, San Francisco, Calif.

RMB Consulting & Research Inc. (919) 510-5102
Utility CEMS Training Program: Feb. 11-13, Raleigh, N.C.

Thielsch Engineering Inc. (401) 467-6454
Failures, Failure Prevention, and Repairs of Pressure Vessels, Piping, Boilers, and Rotating Machinery, and Remaining Life Considerations: Mar. 17-19, Warwick, R.I.

NDE Engineering Applications of NDE Techniques for Engineering Analyses: Mar. 19-20, Warwick, R.I.

Piping Support Systems: Design, Installation, and Maintenance: Mar. 17-19, Warwick, R.I.