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MERGERS/ACQUISITIONS

Ronningen-Petter, manufacturer of liquid filtration equipment, has acquired Groupe Aoustin of Nanterre, France, a manufacturer of turnkey liquid filtration systems and mixer-extruders.

Yokogawa Corp. of America has acquired Dixon Engineering Inc. The company will be known as Dixon Industrial Sales and will be structured as an operating division.

Global supplier of catalysts and silica products, W.R. Grace & Co. has acquired the Ludox colloidal silicas business of the DuPont Co. The acquired business is located in East Chicago, Ind., and will be integrated into the company’s Davison Silica Products business.

Liberty Diversified Industries, New Hope, Minn., has purchased Bicknell & Fuller’s Corrugated Packaging Division. The company will continue to operate under the name Bicknell & Fuller Corrugated Packaging.

Crane & Co. Inc., manufacturer of specialty papers, has acquired a stake in Polyweave International LLC of Memphis, Tenn., a supplier to the plastic in-mold label market.

SPX Power Team, manufacturer of hydraulic power systems, has acquired the hydraulic product lines of the Brock Equipment Co. of Crystal Lake, Ill.

Sartomer Co., producer of specialty chemicals, has acquired Ricon Resins Inc., manufacturer of functionalized polybutadiene and other resins.

 

JOINT VENTURES

PSDI, solutions provider for streamlining the supply chain for maintenance, repair, and operations materials, and Ariba Inc., a B2B e-commerce platform provider, have announced a comprehensive business relationship that will enable buyers and suppliers using the PDSI Maximo and Mro.com solutions to transact with buyers, marketplaces, and suppliers on the Ariba B2B commerce platform, and to use the value-added services of the Ariba Commerce Services Network for content, payment, logistics, and sourcing.

Silicon Energy and Andersen Consulting have signed a global marketing alliance to deliver integrated, Web-based Enterprise Energy Management solutions to energy service providers and commercial and industrial customers. Andersen Consulting and Silicon Energy will work cooperatively to market and deliver EEM solutions to Andersen Consulting’s current client base. As a Silicon Energy preferred integration provider, Andersen Consulting will provide customers with its management consulting, as well as system and business integration services for EEM solutions.

ENSR, an environmental consulting firm, has signed an agreement to work with Blue292, a B2B e-marketplace for environmental health and safety products and services. ENSR will work with Blue292 to develop a customized and secure website for ENSR to accomplish a diverse array of environmental procurement and processing functions.

Following negotiations, J.M. Voith AG and Sulzer AG have agreed that Sulzer will reduce its participating interest in the joint venture in paper technology (Voith Sulzer Papiertechnik GmbH & Co. KG) from 40% to 10%.

Primedia has announced a strategic relationship with NewsEdge Corp., a hypersyndicator of e-content and news service. NewsEdge will supply its eTopics content for Internet and wireless applications to Primedia’s IndustryClick unit. Through IndustryClick and Intertec, Primedia has entered into an agreement to acquire an equity stake in paperloop.com.

Canadian National Railway Co. and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. have announced that their Boards of Directors have both voted to approve an immediate, mutual termination of the combination agreement that would have created North American Railways Inc.

Neles Automation and The Dow Chemical Co. have signed a multi-year global purchasing agreement that will allow Dow or its affiliates to obtain control valves and related products manufactured by Neles Automation at standard prices and terms anywhere in the world. Neles Automation becomes the fifth manufacturer and the first European-based corporation to have a global purchasing agreement for control valves with Dow.

Etrema Products Inc. has partnered with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in a NIST funded cooperative agreement to accelerate the diffusion of newly developed high-powered ultrasonic systems. The goal of the NIST ATP program is to accelerate development of innovative technologies for broad national benefit through partnerships with the private sector.

ChemicalDesk, an electronic marketplace for the water treatment and pulp and paper industry, has been awarded a grant from the New Mexico Economic Development Corp. to provide advanced technical training for nearly 30 individuals at its satellite technical office in Angel Fire, N.M.

IBM and Aspen Technology Inc. have announced a strategic alliance to provide supply chain management solutions. Under the new alliance, IBM and AspenTech will work together on marketing, sales, and future product development.

Foxboro and Kellogg Brown & Root have teamed in an alliance designed to allow both companies to better serve mutual customers. The combination of Foxboro I/A Series automation and KBR’s process technology and Engineering skills enables the development of complete packaged solutions. These solutions are expected to lower costs and increase reliability for customers. Initially, the agreement will focus on the KBR ammonia process licensees and will include operator-training simulators and advanced process control.

 

NASH Engineering forms targeted paper division

Trumbull, Conn.-based NASH Engineering has announced that it is forming a new division—called Paperworx—dedicated to providing products and services for the global paper market. In making the announcement, Ned Cunningham, president and COO of Nash, said that “the global nature of the paper industry coupled with Nash's strong history, presence and reputation as a supplier will provide an excellent opportunity for sales growth.” Paperworx will be headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., and will provide customer focused sales, marketing and technical support. The division will represent Nash and other key products through the Nash worldwide pulp and paper organization with locations in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. Cunningham further noted that “our goal is to provide application expertise, products, and services to help mills optimize felt and fabric cleaning, filtering, and water removal.” Growth of the division will be accomplished through expanding sales in Nash’s existing vacuum system technology products as well as through new products, services, acquisitions, partnerships and alliances. The new organization will provide global support in the areas of product line management, major project coordination, global growth initiatives, training and technical expertise. This will allow for effective international coordination and oversight, yet still provide the local support that is required to be successful through out the world.

 

NEW FACILITIES

PMCI has announced the opening of its fourteenth office in Cinncinati, Ohio. The new location will be designed to provide a convenient base for the firm’s regional operations throughout Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Eastern Indiana.

Motion Industries has established a new regional office in Baltimore, Md. The new regional office will be responsible for Delaware, Maryland, northern Virginia, and the greater Delaware Valley area of Philadelphia, Penn. The new regional office is located at Motion’s Baltimore Distribution Center.

Penford Corp. has announced the start of construction on its new research and applications facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Penford Corp. develops, manufactures, and markets specialty carbohydrate- based ingredient systems for various applications.

Old World Industries, reseller of liquid caustic soda, has announced the addition of a distribution point in Bayonne, N.J., which brings the company’s total to thirteen marine served distribution points.

Krohne Inc., manufacturer and distributor of level and flow measurement instrumentation, has created a new customer care center at their North American headquarters in Peabody, Mass., designed to increase all aspects of technical and commercial customer support.

 

MARKETING/LICENSING

The Seaman Corp., developer of high performance fabric technology, has announced a new web site for its XR Technology Geomembrane Systems Div., www.sr-5.com. The new site contains information about what makes Seaman’s XR Technology an industry standard. The www.xr-5.com site is part of the company’s new corporate site, www.seamancorp.com.

The Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA) announced that DeviceNet has been adopted as an International Standard by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). ODVA was formed in April 1995 to support worldwide growth of the DeviceNet specification by assisting vendors, distributors, and end users through tools, training, compliance testing, and marketing activities.

Officine Meccaniche Toschi has signed an exclusive agreement to manufacture and sell Procter & Gamble’sThrough-Air Drying (TAD) sanitary tissue machines using TAD technology licensed from Procter & Gamble. The agreement permits worldwide sale of these machines.

 

REORGANIZATION

Schneider National has announced plans to spin off its logistics business as a separate company and to seek outside capital for Schneider Logistics. This is designed to enable Schneider Logistics to accelerate its investments in logistics technology, products, and services to develop its role as a global supply chain integrator.

Millenium Inorganic Chemicals has reorganized its purchasing and procurement functions into a Global Procurement and Mining Div. The new division consolidates worldwide purchasing activities to reduce costs, increase productivity, and streamline processes.

PaperExchange.com Inc. has announced the formation of a new devision to develop Web-enabled solutions, which are designed to enable companies to more effectively manage their complete paper, print, and packaging procurement needs.

Nash Engineering has announced the formation of a new division designed to provide products and services for the global paper market. Paperworx will be headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., and will provide customer focused sales, marketing, and technical support to the global paper market.

 

PRICING

Solvay Interox Inc. has increased off-list prices for all grades of hydrogen peroxide by four cents/lb in the U.S. and C$130/mton in Canada for one hundred percent basis hydrogen peroxide.

Thiele Kaolin Co. has raised prices by five percent in North America on all kaolin products.

Degussa-Hùls has announced plans to raise all off-list prices for hydrogen peroxide by four cents/lb. U.S., or CAN$125/mton for all product grades.

 

NEW COMPANIES

More than 50 former employees of Wis.-based paper machine maker Beloit Corp., which was sold off this year as part of the bankruptcy of parent company Harnischfeger Industries Inc., have formed a new company, Paperchine Inc., to provide service to Beloit installed paper machines.

 

REORGANIZATION

The Meridium Enterprise Manage-ment System has received certification from SAP, provider of inter-enterprise software solutions. The certification applies to Meridium’s interface to SAP’s R/3 Plant Maintenance Module, which allows Meridium’s software to use SAP PM data for advanced equipment reliability analysis.

Nalco Chemical Co. is a recipient of the first annual award for “Advancing the Value of Human Worth in the Workplace” from The Ken Blanchard Compaies. The award was based on Nalco’s ability to help employees understand and live its organizational vision, mission, and values.

 

CERTIFICATIONS/AWARDS

Monitor Technologies LLC has earned ISO 9001 certification.

 

PRICING

The Dow Chemical Co. is increasing the off-list selling price for all grades of caustic soda sold in the U.S. by $50.00/dry short ton, basic 76% Na2O. The increase is effective immediately to all spot customers, or as contract terms permit.

Air Products Polymers LLC, an affiliate of Air Products and Chemicals Inc., increased prices of its vinyl acetate-ethylene, vinyl-acrylic, polyvinyl acetate homopolymer, polyvinyl acetate copolymer, and ethylene-vinyl chloride emulsions sold to all markets in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico by 3 cents/wet lb. The company sites continued significant increases in costs of virtually all raw materials as the cause of this increase.

Imerys has increased prices by 3% to 5% for kaolin and ground calcium carbonates. The company cites spiraling energy costs and higher operational labor costs as the reason for the increase.

Millenium Inorganic Chemicals has announced a price increase for Tiona titanium dioxide products sold in North America. Prices will increase 4 cents/lb in the U.S. and 7 cents/lb in Canada.

Huntsman Tioxide has increased titanium dioxide prices to U.S. customers by 4 cents/lb.

 

CERTIFICATIONS/AWARDS

Motion Industries received the 1999 Supplier of the Year award from General Motors Corp. during ceremonies in Munich, Germany. The award, in its eighth consecutive year, is given annually to GM’s best global supplier in recognition of superior performance during the previous year. Motion Industries also received the 1999 Premier Supplier Award at Bethlehem Steel Corp.’s premier supplier celebration held in Bethlehem, Pa. This was the third annual event, and Motion has received the award every year.

 

NAME CHANGES

Valmet Hydraulics Oy, a company in Metso Corp.’s machinery business area, has been renamed Santasalo Hydraulics Oy, as the unit is functionally a part of the Santasalo group, which specializes in gears and components. Santasalo Hydraulics develops and supplies equipment, solutions, and maintenance services for hydrostatic power transmission, mainly for mobile work machines.