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MERGERS/ACQUISITIONS

Quaker Chemical Corp. has announced that Hercules Inc. acquired its U.S. Pulp and Paper Div. The unit supplies products and services for application in the tissue papermaking and pulping process.

Wonderware Corp. has announced its intentions to purchase the SPSS Inc. line of manufacturing software products, in-cluding the QI Analyst software package.

Monadnock Paper Mills Inc. of Bennington, N.H., has purchased the assets of Surface Tech LLC in Binghamton, N.Y., from Azon Corp. and Mead Oxford Corp. The new company, Monadnock Specialty Coatings LLC, will increase Monadnock’s capabilities and capacity to produce value-added specialty coated products.

 

JOINT VENTURES

Neles Automation Inc. and Aspen Technology Inc. have announced a partnership to use the Aspen Manufacturing Suite within nelesDNA, a new process automation solution.

In a move designed to provide customers with a complete package of power transmission components, The Falk Corp. has joined forces with Precision Pulley and SKF. The new program allows customers to cull the knowledge of three industry leaders to purchase an integrated drive system from a single source at a combined volume price. Precision Inc. manufactures pulleys, shafts, bearings, and other products. SKF is a provider of rolling bearings, and The Falk Corp. manufactures industrial power transmission machinery.

The Hydraulic Institute (HI) and the Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Industrial Technologies have signed an allied partner agreement in which the two organizations will collaborate on initiatives that promote improved pumping system energy efficiency among pump manufacturers and end-users.

PaperExchange.com and SGS Société Générale de Surveillance S.A. (SGS), a provider of verification, testing, certification, and quality assurance, have announced a joint venture. PaperExchange.com is working as a development partner with SGS to develop its online service offering called SGSonSITE (Safe Internet Trading Environment), through which SGS will provide its services to industry marketplaces via the Web.

Ariba and Descartes have partnered to link buyers, suppliers, and business-to-business marketplaces on the Ariba B2B Commerce Platform with transportation carriers, shippers, and logistics providers connected to the Descartes Global Logistics Network.

GLI International and Manning Environmental have entered into a joint venture. Under terms of the agreement, GLI International has exclusive worldwide rights to manufacture, market, and distribute the new GLI/Manning line of water/wastewater samplers. Manning Environmental will continue to perform product research and development engineering in accordance with this agreement.

Accesspaper, a global e-marketplace in forest products, has announced a partnership with business-to-business e-marketplace, Industry to Industry (i2i). The partnership will enable members of the online paper and pulp market to use i2i’s trading exchanges, i2iChemcials and i2iEnergy, as well as existing relationships with financial, technology, and logistics partners.

MaintenanceResources.com, an online source for plant engineering and maintenance, has announced a strategic alliance with NTech, provider of eMAINT Online and eMAINT Online Plus Web-based computerized maintenance management systems. Through the partnership, MaintenanceResources.com will provide its audience with access to Web-based CMMS solutions, powered by NTech’s eMAINT Online.

PrimeContract.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of Primavera Systems, and MRO.com Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PSDI, have announced an agreement wherein PrimeContract.com will license MRO.com marketplace technology for online procurement. PrimeContract.com will integrate this technology with its own online services for Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Operation (EPCO) firms.

Sun Microsystems Inc. and Intentia International have announced a strategic alliance. Intentia will offer its e-collaboration application, Movex NextGen, and implementation service on the Solaris Operating Environment. Sun will support Movex NextGen in go-to-market activities, implementation, and support processes.

ChemicalDesk Corp., emarketplace for the water treatment and pulp & paper industries, has formed a strategic alliance with Crown Engineering of Dayton, Ohio. Crown Engineering will team with ChemicalDesk to expand the site’s technical and product content for water treatment chemicals.

 

OPENINGS/CLOSINGS

Ground breaking has begun at Netzsch Inc., Lionville, Penn., for a new grinding laboratory. The custom service grinding and dispersion lab will feature high-speed dispersion and mixing equipment, analytical equipment, horizontal and vertical media mills, and granulating and classifying equipment.

Rimtec Corp. has multiplied its space for manufacturing and warehousing servo couplings and clamps with its move into a 12,000 ft² facility in Addison, Ill.

 

EXPANSIONS/MODERNIZATIONS

Advesives Research Inc. has announced the expansion of its research and development (R&D) facility located in Glen Rock, Pa. The expansion to 23,700 ft2 from 13,000 ft2 is a result of steady growth of the company and increasing demand for custom research to develop innovative pressure-sensitive adhesive-based technologies.

 

MARKETING/LICENSING

Dunleary has been awarded distribution responsibilities for the J.M. Huber product line for the Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Eastern Tennessee markets. Dunleary will be responsible for marketing Huber’s calcined and hydrous clays, aluminum trihydrate, precipitated silicas, calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, and barium sulfate.

Thiele Kaolin Co. and Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) have announced that they have entered into negotiations to appoint Thiele as exclusive marketing agent for Para Pigmentos S.A., PPSA coating kaolin products in North America. Also, the parties are negotiating Thiele’s acquisition of a minority percentage in CVRD’s controlling stake in Para Pigmentos S.A.

Elementis Specialties has announced the appointment of TMC Materials as its distributor for the New England states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Connecticut.

The BetzDearborn and Pulp and Paper Divisions of Hercules Inc. and Vivendi Water have extended their North America alliance to all other regions of the world. The companies will cooperate to sell Vivendi Water’s industrial outsourcing and equipment capabilities and Hercules’ water and process treatment chemicals.

 

REORGANIZATION

3M has announced the phasing out of its perfluoroctanyl chemistry used to produce certain repellents and surfactant products. These include many Scotchgard products and also coatings used for oil and grease resistance on paper packaging. Sophisticated testing capabilities show that this persistent compound can be detected broadly at extremely low levels in the environment and in people.

The A. Ahlstrom Corp. Board of Directors has recommended forming an industrial company comprised primarily of the corporation’s specialty papers and advanced materials businesses. In addition, the Board recommends forming a private investment company owned by family members.

Grand Eagle has announced a major divisional reorganization under which its Eastern Electric Apparatus Repair Co. will be merged with, and operate as, Grand Eagle Services. This organization was set up earlier this year when Grand Eagle acquired the U.S. operations of ABB Services Inc. Additionally, Grand Eagle announced the establishment of Grand Eagle Distribution, a specialized division focused on sales of new equipment such as motors, drives, and associated equipment.

 

PRICING

PRICING

Effective on all shipments after July 15, 2000, IMERYS will increase prices by 3% to 5% for kaolin and ground calcium carbonates.

The Dow Chemical Co. has announced an increase in the off-list selling price for liquid chlorine sold in the U.S. by $30.00/short ton, not to exceed its current list price of $255/short ton, freight on board, Freeport, Texas, or Plaquemine, La., buyer absorbs freight.

 

TECHNOLOGY

SAP is extending its open integration strategy by using SAP and partner components to build mySAP.com solutions for the Internet economy. SAP will focus its efforts on the tight integration of the entire environment of e-business applications to deliver the complete set of functionality to users through role-based mySAP.com workplace enterprise portals.

 

CERTIFICATIONS/AWARDS

Motion Industries has been named 1999 Supplier of the Year by General Motors Corp. Motion Industries has received ISO 9002 certification for its facilities located in Palmdale, Cal.; Trona, Cal.; Sarasota, Fla.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Cleveland, Tenn.; Columbia, Tenn.; and Esterhazy, Sask.