MERGERS/ACQUISITIONS

General Electric Co. has acquired Honeywell International Inc. in a move to bolster its key aerospace, industrial systems, power, and plastics businesses. As part of the deal, the largest acquisition in GE's history, John "Jack" Welch will stay on as chairman and chief executive of GE through the end of 2001, pushing back a planned April retirement in order to see through the integration of Morris Township, N.J.-based Honeywell. The merger, expected to close in early 2001, will be accounted for as a pooling of interests.

Neles Automation, part of Metso Corp. of Finland, has acquired MAX Control Systems, a U.S.-based company that designs, builds, and installs plant-wide control and data acquisition systems for electric power generating stations and other continuous and batch process applications.

Rockwell Automation has acquired the batch software and services business of Sequencia. This adds Sequencia's Responsive Process Manufacturing Series to Rockwell Automation's current process offerings. Approximately 56 of Sequencia's employees will join Rockwell Automation's recently formed software and services group and are expected to remain in their current locations in Phoenix, Ariz., and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Celanese Chemicals, a business of Celanese AG, has announced that it will sell that portion of its formaldehyde business to Georgia-Pacific Resins Inc., the chemical division of Georgia-Pacific Corp., and supply the Atlanta-based company with formaldehyde under a long-term supply agreement.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc. has completed the sale of its polyvinyl alcohol business to Celanese AG of Kronberg, Germany. Included in the sale are facilities in Pasadena, Tex., and Calvert City, Ky., that produce nearly 200 million lb/yr of polyvinyl alcohol and employs approximately 200 people.

Silicon Energy, a provider of Internet-based energy technology software, has announced the acquisition of EPS Solutions Inc., an energy rate software and information company headquartered in Excelsior, Minn.

Ciba Specialty Chemicals has announced the completion of its purchase of the retention, drainage, and fixative paper chemicals business of Cytec Industries. The deal includes existing products sold under the Polyflex, Accurac, Cydrain, and Cypro trade names and related Polyflex patents and technologies in most of the world.

New Castle Industries, manufacturer of screws, barrels, and chill rolls, has announced its acquisition of FR Gross Co. of Stow, Ohio. FR Gross will maintain its current name, but operate as the Roll Div. of New Castle Industries. The addition of FR Gross, manufacturer of heat transfer rolls, industrial rolls, and pressure vessels, is designed to strengthen New Castle's position in the roll market by allowing it to offer a broader line of products.

The Alloy Engineering Co., designers and manufacturers of high-temperature and corrosion-resistant alloy products, has announced the acquisition of the AFE Inc. high-temperature fan business.

Nordson Corp., producer of precision dispensing equipment, has signed a definitive agreement to purchase EFD Inc., leading producer of precision, low-pressure, industrial dispensing valves and components.

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) has announced its decision to acquire major divisions from Laporte plc. The businesses being acquired comprise the pigments and additives, formulated products and compounds, and electronic divisions. Following completion of the transaction, the divisions will be merged into a new company headquartered in Princeton, N.J.

CDS Analytical Inc., manufacturer of analytical instrumentation, has acquired Dynatherm Analytical Instruments Inc. Dynatherm manufacturers sample collection and sample introduction instruments.

 

JOINT VENTURES

Paperloop is teaming with ABB, a global technology company, and Skyva International, a provider of software solutions for collaborative commerce, to jointly deliver private, collaborative e-business solutions that are intended to enable paper producers, converters, and distributors to conduct one-on-one online transactions with customers in real-time. The new partnership will allow paperloop to extend its services to the paper industry by leveraging its visibility, information, and e-storefront offerings with the back-end integration and supply chain optimization solutions of ABB and Skyva.

Rohm and Haas and Omnova Solutions have signed a letter of intent to form a strategic alliance to serve the paper and paperboard industry. When finalized, the companies will combine resources in an effort to provide total solutions to customers and offer complementary surface treatment products for the paper industry.

Rockwell and Omron have furthered their partnership to facilitate e-manufacturing environments. Omron, by endorsing Ethernet/IP on the factory floor, will share a common link with Rockwell Automation in providing customers with an information-enabled architecture.

The Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada (Paprican) and Neles Automation Canada Ltd. have signed an alliance agreement whereby Neles Automation will supply online wet end process measurements for Paprican's new pilot paper machine. The new pilot machine in Papricon's Pointe Claire, Que., research facility will be equipped with RMi white water consistency and retention measurements and CATi cationic charge demand measurement.

Manugistics and Vastera have formed an alliance designed to deliver solutions. Manugistics' NetWORKS solutions will attempt to draw on Vastera's worldwide trade information in an effort to help enable organizations to improve their global sourcing, procurement, supply chain visibility, order commitment, and collaboration capabilities.

Williams and Invensys have formed an alliance. The companies intend to link and deliver communications systems and energy management solutions for customers across industrial markets.

ForestExpress, a b2b electronic marketplace for the forest products industry, is teaming up with Commerce One and SAPMarkets, the SAP subsidiary designed to create and power globally interconnected b2b marketplaces. They plan to develop sophisticated purchasing and selling activities across the ForestExpress e-marketplace.

Vastera, provider of Web-based solutions for global trade management, and FreightDesk.com, provider of Web-based cargo management applications for international shipments, have partnered. FreightDesk will integrate Vastera's global trade management solutions with its own tracking, collaboration, and office automation capabilities. The partnership is designed to provide the international freight forwarding industry with a comprehensive solution to manage global shipments.

Wonderware has formed a partnership with Siebel. Wonderware, which has joined the Siebel Alliance Program, will develop and offer interfaces from its Protean ERP software for process industries to Siebel e-business applications.

Ariba, i2 Technologies, and IBM have expanded their alliance. A new agreement allows each company to resell the others' interoperable b2b solutions. The new agreement between Ariba and i2 underscores the successful modular and customer-focused approach of the alliance to deliver interoperable solutions from any combination of alliance companies to meet b2b customers' specific requirements.

Cadcentre and Industria Solutions have announced a joint venture. Cadcentre's projects, materials, and engineering information management tools will combine with Industria's b2b marketplace solutions to provide Web-based, project management and procurement e-commerce solutions for process plant design, procurement, construction, and maintenance.

 

NEW FACILITIES

Aggreko Inc., provider of specialized energy solutions, has begun construction for a new building at its North American headquarters in New Iberia, La. The $2.5 million build-out will accommodate Aggreko's infrastructure with additional space for corporate and central support functions.

ABB recently opened a new facility in Atlanta, Ga. The 45,000-ft2 office houses sales, service, engineering, system staging, training, equipment assembly, and software configuration.

Neles Automation Canada Ltd. recently opened a new customer support center for Eastern Canada. It is located in the Montreal suburb of Pointe Claire, Que.

Conbraco Industries has announced the opening of a new 42,500-ft2 distribution center in Reno, Nev., which will serve its valve and actuator customers in the Western U.S. This is the company's second U.S. distribution center and fourth worldwide. Conbraco Industries Inc. is a manufacturer of valves and flow control products.

Cerestar has announced the opening of its newly expanded starch and glucose factory at Sas van Gent, the Netherlands. The large-scale building project nearly doubled the production capacity of the existing plant at Sas van Gent.

 

MARKETING/LICENSING

National Starch and Chemical Co. and the pulp and paper div. of Hercules Inc. have formed a strategic marketing alliance for the sale of over 300 million lb of National's papermaking chemicals starch product line. The agreement covers the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and will be effective Jan. 1, 2001.

National Starch will continue its papermaking chemicals starch research, development, and manufacturing activities, and Hercules will manage the marketing, sales, and technical support of the product line in those regions. The starch products that Hercules markets will retain the National Starch and Chemical Co. brand names.

USFilter and Service Systems International have announced plans to form a strategic alliance to market Service Systems' ultraviolet disinfection technology for water and wastewater applications.

GE Industrial Systems and Conmark Instruments Inc. have announced an agreement whereby GE will exclusively market Conmark's digital video systems used in the pulp and paper industry for process monitoring and diagnostics to reduce web breaks.

General Magnaplate Corp. has announced that its New Jersey and California facilities have been named exclusive distributors for ARC (Advanced Reinforced Composites), a division of the A.W. Chesterton Co.

 

RELOCATIONS

Kellogg Brown & Root forest products company has moved its worldwide headquarters from Houston, Tex., to Mobile, Ala. Projects currently being executed in Houston will not be involved in this move, and the Houston office will still be used as an execution center.

 

PRICING

 

The Dow Chemical Co. has increased the off-list selling price for all grades of caustic soda sold in the U.S. by $60/dry short ton, basis 76% Na2O. The increase if effective immediately to all spot customers, or as contract terms permit.

Sun Chemical has announced a price increase for packaging inks and coatings in the U.S. Sun Chemical Ink prices for packaging inks and coatings have increased six percent.

DuPont Packaging and Industrial Polymers has announced a five cents/lb increase on all grades of its Elvanol brand of polyvinyl alcohol. DuPont cites strong demand, high capacity utilization, and rising raw materials costs as reasons for the increase.

 

REORGANIZATION

The eBusiness and Manufacturing Execution Systems Units of ABB's Pulp, Paper, Metal, and Minerals division have merged to form the eBusiness Unit. The eBusiness Unit will web-enable the MES and Industrial IT applications from ABB to connect real-time production information with transactional business data, providing a seamless flow of information.

 

NEW COMPANIES

Galaxy Tissue Technologies Inc. is an independently owned consulting company that was created to provide integrated services to the tissue industry and its suppliers. The new company will provide services in process development, product development, competitive analysis, manufacturing support, technology transfer, quality improvement, and training and development.