ACQUISITIONS

Paris-based Imetal has acquired English China Clays plc (ECC) of Roswell, Ga. Imetal has also created a new Pigments & Additives Group by combining Dry Branch Kaolin, ECC, Georgia Marble, and Rio Capim Caulim. The new group will form a paper division to serve the paper industry worldwide and a performance minerals division to serve European and American markets.

Huber Engineered Materials, a sector of J.M. Huber Corp., supplier of engineered minerals and specialty chemicals, has acquired European-based Faxe Paper Pigments A/S (Denmark), a world-wide supplier of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC). Faxe Paper Pigments was purchased from Belgium-based Groupe Lhoist.

Sunds Defibrator of Sweden has signed a letter of intent to acquire the press division of Eduard Kùsters Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. of Germany. Sunds Defibrator will then be able to offer a complete line for production of MDF and particleboard—from wood handling to finishing and overlaying.

Babcock & Wilcox Canada has acquired a 34% ownership in Integran Technologies Inc. B&W will improve the durability of many of its products by applying Integran’s technologies that enhance and strengthen metals to resist corrosion, abrasion, and erosion. B&W will also develop applications and market the patented material technologies.

Birmingham, Ala.-based Motion Indus-tries, a distributor of bearings, hose products, and mechanical, electrical, and fluid power transmission equipment, acquired the CHV Hydraulics and Airmax divisions of UAP Inc. of Canada.

Dùrr Environmental Inc. has acquired the Regenerative Environmental Equipment Co. Inc. (REECO) of Branchburg, N.J. REECO will operate under its own name as a unit of Dùrr Environmental, a supplier of organic emission abatement systems.

Gardner Denver, a manufacturer of reciprocating pumps, has acquired Butterworth Jetting Systems, a Texas-based manufacturer of high-pressure pumps and water-jetting systems used for cleaning process equipment and other surface preparation applications.

Vivendi of Paris, France, has acquired United States Filter Corp. of Palm Desert, Calif. Vivendi operates in European communications and utilities markets.

Sterling Fluid Systems Group, a fluid handling company, has acquired the pump interests of QFV Engineering of Wiesbaden, Germany, which will be relocated to Sterling’s center in Ludwigshafen, Germany. QFV is a manufacturer of sealed and sealless PTFE pumps for chemical and pharmaceutical applications. The pumps will be marketed worldwide under the Sterling Isolined brand.

Sermatech International, a supplier of protective coatings for industrial applications, has announced the acquisition of The ISPA Co. of Baltimore, Md., a provider of fluoropolymer coating and lining products. The company will be known as Sermatech-ISPA.

Industrial manufacturer AlliedSignal Inc. has announced plans to acquire electronic controls company Honeywell Inc. The deal includes Honeywell-Measurex—a California-based paper industry process control equipment and system supplier.

BioLab Inc., a manufacturer of industrial water treatment chemicals, has acquired FMC’s Process Additives Div. PAD’s product line, including oxidizing and non-oxidizing biocides, corrosion inhibi-tors, and scale control products, will be incorporated into BioLab’s industrial water treatment business.

Hutter & Schrantz, an Austrian forming fabric producer with more than 100 years of experience, is now part of the Cristini Group. The new company is now called Cristini Forming Fabrics GmbH. With this acquisition, Cristini Group expands its production range, adding a full line of high performances forming fabrics.

Cooley Group has acquired Van Besouw Kunststoffen BV in Goirle, Netherlands, in order to expand its research and manufacturing capabilities. VBK is a developer and manufacturer of flexible reinforced polymer membranes.

 

JOINT VENTURES

Honeywell has announced that Micro-soft Corp. is participating in its Hi-Spec Solutions Team Uniformance Program. Microsoft has entered the program as a strategic business partner, formalizing the key role of Microsoft’s technology platform within Honeywell’s Uniformance product suite. In addition, OSI Software Inc. has joined the Team Uniformance program, which guarantees seamless integration of OSI’s PI ProcessBook with Honeywell’s Uniformance database system.

Fisher-Rosemount’s Performance Solutions Div. has formed an alliance with Hewlett-Packard (HP) to incor-porate HP’s Enterprise Link into its PlantWeb process automation architecture. The alliance strengthens Fisher-Rosemount’s ability to provide seamless information flow between plant-floor and business-level systems.

Mincom Inc., a provider of total enterprise asset management (EAM) software, has developed a tighter integration of its MIMS open enterprise suite with the new version of the Oracle financials package.

LabSystems Inc. has announced a broad-based teaming agreement with Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC). Companies who use LabSystems’ LIMS as part of CSC’s Enterprise Resource Planning solution (ERP+) will benefit from increased usability of systems in critical business areas.

Atrion International has selected Clarkston-Potomac as a preferred imple-mentation partner for the SAP R/3 interface to Atrion’s Chemmate, a software solution that analyzes and maintains compliance with domestic and international laws governing environmental, health, safety, and transportation regulations.

Soterra Inc., a subsidiary of Greif Bros. Corp., has announced a timber management agreement with Bennett & Peters. The Baton Rouge-based forestry consultants and appraisers will be the agent in selecting and marketing timber from Soterra’s 277,000 acres in the southeastern United States.

Fluke Corp., a producer of professional electronic test tools, has announced that Hewlett-Packard’s Instrument Support Solutions Div. will standardize on Fluke calibration instruments, processes, and software—including digital voltmeters and oscilloscopes—in defined high volume applications at HP’s test and measurement service organization.

Cadcentre Group plc, a process plant design software specialist, has completed a transaction with AEA Technology plc in which Cadcentre will integrate and develop the two companies’ 3D plant design technology. Cadcentre will also take over responsibility for all customers using PlantView, PlantWalk, and PlantSchema products.

 

AWARDS

For the second consecutive year, Bethlehem Steel has presented Motion Industries with its premier supplier award for exceeding quality, service, and cost performance standards. Birmingham, Ala.-based Motion Industries is a distributor of bearings and mechanical, electrical, and fluid power transmission equipment.

 

TECHNOLOGY

Harvest Energy Technology Inc. has completed pilot-scale testing of a new paper drying technology that uses heated liquid metals to impart drying heat directly to the wet web surface. The company is soliciting equipment manufacturers and users to assist in commercialization of the technology. For more information, see http://www.harvest-technology.com.

 

RELOCATIONS

Norwalk Industrial Components LLC has moved the manufacture of its Finebar refiner plates to a facility in Manchester, Conn. Sales and administration will remain in Norwalk, Conn.

AVO International, a manufacturer of electrical test equipment and measuring instruments, has moved its design and manufacturing plant from Blue Bell, Pa., to a new facility in Valley Forge, Pa.

 

REORGANIZATIONS

J.M. Huber Corp., Atlanta, Ga, has announced that it is combining its engineered minerals and chemicals businesses to create Huber Engineered Materials. The new organization will provide global solutions to Huber’s customers in a wide variety of industries, including paper.

Raytheon Engineers & Constructors has formed a new subsidiary called Raytheon Consulting & Systems Integration Inc. Formerly known as Raytheon Automated Systems, the subsidiary will continue to offer the same services: knowledge of business and manufacturing processes, understanding of plant operations, real-world experience with information systems projects, and design and implementation of control systems.

PSDI, a provider of enterprise asset maintenance (EAM) and maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) e-commerce systems, has formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, MRO.com Inc., which links an online community of MRO suppliers and buyers to a group of Internet-based procurement products, reducing purchasing and inventory costs for capital-asset intensive industries.

Sterling Fluid Systems (USA) Inc. has expanded its parts and services operations by creating the Sterling Service Div. The division includes the Parts Support Group for OEM-quality replacement parts and a nationwide network of quick response centers that provide end users with parts and service.

Tenneco Inc. has separated its automotive and packaging businesses into two independent companies. The action will complete the final phase of restructuring announced by Tenneco in 1998.

To develop digital web management systems based on new technology, Maxcess International has formed Talis International LLC as its tech- nology center in Millersville, Md.

Coltec Industries Inc. has streamlined the management structure of its industrial operations and has formed two new groups: Sealing Technologies and General Industrial Products. Following the anticipated merger with The BF Goodrich Company, both groups will become part of BF Goodrich’s Industrial Products segment.

Servomex plc, an industrial instrumentation group, has formed Servomex Transducers Ltd., a company with its own dedicated management, R&D, marketing, and sales teams that will develop gas transducer technology.

FesTech Software Solutions, an industrial software training and services company, has established Software Technology Center (STC) affiliate programs to facilitate the use of industrial software products. Through two new programs, STC Vendor Affiliate and STC Distributor Affiliate, FesTech will provide distribution channel training, technical services, and software products.

 

EXPANSIONS/MODERNIZATIONS

Raumaster Oy, a supplier of material handling equipment based in Rauma, Finland, has opened a North American office in Laval, Que. Raumaster Canada Inc. will provide sales and service for Raumaster roll handling equipment and Saimatec wrapping lines.

Auramo Oy of Finland has announced that it is now the majority in Active-Auramo S.p.A., an Italian manufacturer of lift masts. Auramo S.p.A. masts will be marketed in the U.S. through Auramo’s subsidiary in Charleston, S.C.

To give users a single source for turnkey development of linear motions systems, Warner Electric has announced a major expansion of its Linear Package Group. The group’s capabilities include quotations within 48 hours and delivery of pre-tested systems in an average of two to four weeks.

 

BUSINESS/FINANCIAL

Harnischfeger Industries Inc., parent company for Beloit Corp., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy status. Part of Harnischfeger’s current financial problems stem from the loss of two orders for machines from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) in Indonesia that were worth a combined $300 million.

 

NAME CHANGES

The new company being formed by the merger of Ahlstrom Machinery and Kvaerner Pulp & Paper has announced that its new name will be Adara Corp.

 

NEW FACILITIES

Geo’s Paper Chemicals Group has announced the startup of its Coating Additive Technical Center. The 10,000-ft² facility in Charlotte, N.C., will provide technical support to coating additive customers.

 

MARKETING/LICENSING

Penn Carbose, a manufacturer of technical-grade carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) based in Somerset, Penn., has authorized Van Waters & Rogers Ltd., based in Richmond, B.C., as its Canadian distributor of CMC for paper, mining, and laundry detergent applications.

J&L Fiber Services will be represented in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Massachusetts by Greg Sleeper, a sales associate with F. P. Coinner USA Inc. He will provide technical assistance and expanded customer services.