MERGERS/ACQUISITIONS

Rockwell Automation has acquired the batch software and services business of Sequencia Corp. This transaction adds Sequencia's Responsive Process Manufacturing Series (rpmSeries) suite of products to Rockwell Automation's current process offerings. The acquisition includes the development, support, services, and administrative personnel associated with Sequencia's batch software and services business.

Siemens has acquired the Demag Delaval Group from Atecs Mannes-mann in a move to strengthen Siemens Power Generation Group's business in the field of industrial turbine and power plant production and services. Subject to the approval of anti-trust authorities, the new entity formed from the planned merger of the Industrial Turbines and Power Plants Division of Siemens/KWU and the Demag Delaval Group is scheduled to commence operations as of April 1, 2001.

Yokogawa Electric Corp., manufacturer and supplier of instrumentation, process control, and automation solutions, has acquired 3A International Inc., provider of IEEE 1394 test equipment.

The BF Goodrich Co. has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Performance Materials business to an investor group led by AEA Investors Inc., and including an affiliate of DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and DB Capital Partners Inc.

Genesis Consulting Inc., provider of value chain business solutions, and Praetor Systems, an application and systems design and integration firm, have merged in an effort to provide one-stop shopping for e-business value chain optimization. The new firm will be called Genesis Solutions Inc.

New Castle Industries has acquired Keystone Rolls Inc., manufacturer of chill rolls. New Castle Industries is a manufacturer of screws, barrels, and rolls.

 

JOINT VENTURES

Voith Paper and Andritz AG have agreed to establish a joint venture company in an effort to strengthen its tissue technology, products, and services in North America. Voith and Andritz are hoping that their integrated technological know-how will offer a broad range of products and services to the tissue industry, including process solutions with conventional and through-air drying, as well as the TissueFlex technology. The new company, Voith Andritz Tissue LLC, will be located in Janesville, Wis.

A cooperative alliance covering the repair and rebuild of refiners has been developed between The Nash Engineering Co. and Norwalk Industrial Components LLC (NIC). Under the agreement, Nash service centers will repair refiners and offer remanufactured refiners for sale. NIC will have exclusive sales responsibility and provide technical support for the venture.

Maxygen Inc. and Hercules Inc. have announced the formation of a four-year collaboration focused on developing specialty chemicals via custom-made biological catalysts. Under the terms of the agreement, Hercules will retain exclusive worldwide commercialization rights for specific applications of products generated in the alliance. Maxygen will receive research funding, technology access and license fees, milestone payments, and royalties on product sales.

Rockwell and Omron have teamed on an e-manufacturing project. Omron has endorsed Ethernet/IP, the industrial protocol for open Ethernet communications on the factory floor. Therefore, Omron will share a common link with Rockwell Automation in providing customers with an information-enabled architecture. Rockwell has agreed to a resale agreement that enables Omron to offer Rockwell's HMI package to its customers.

Martin Engineering and Nalco Chemical Co. have formed a strategic alliance aimed towards providing dust suppression technology for the bulk material handling industries. Under the agreement, Martin Engineering will develop and manufacture application equipment for use with Nalco dust suppression chemicals. Formulation, manufacture, and supply of chemicals will be handled by Nalco; installation and maintenance of application equipment will be provided by Martin Engineering.

ChemConnect has partnered with Citibank to launch financial services for ChemConnect's World Chemical Exchange, a neutral e-marketplace for chemicals, plastics, and industrial gases. The exchange will now be able to take advantage of credit services, escrow, and foreign exchange.

Kewill and i2 are partnering in an effort designed to provide trading partners with online collaboration tools to efficiently ship, trace, control, and receive goods. I2 will license Kewill's shipping and visibility software for use within the i2 TradeMatrix transportation manager.

Sopheon, provider of information and knowledge solutions, and iVenturi, have announced a global strategic alliance in which the two companies will collaborate in the development of specific components of iVenturi's Web-based worksystem designed to accelerate new product development.

Englehard Opening of New Paper Applications Lab

Engelhard Corp. has opened a new Paper Applications Laboratory at its Gordon Technical Center in Gordon, Ga. The laboratory, which had been located at Englehard's Research and Development Center in Iselin, N.J., is designed to evaluate kaolin pigments for paper coating and filling formulations to help customers select the optimum products, resolve operating problems, and develop new applications. The new 12,000-ft2 laboratory adds 12 technical positions to the Gordon Technical Center, increasing its staff to 30.

 

OPENINGS/CLOSINGS

The Imerys Pigments and Additives Group has announced plans to restructure its North American kaolin assets in an effort to restore profitability from its paper grade products produced in the region. As part of this effort, Imerys plans to shut down 800,000 tons of paper grade kaolin capacity in Middle Georgia. Imerys plans to implement the capacity shut down no later than Feb. 1, 2001.

Pathtrace Systems Inc., developer and provider of the EdgeCAM software solutions product line, has announced the opening of new headquarters for its North and South American operations. The suburban Detroit location of the new headquarters will be central to the company's existing and prospective customer base.

 

EXPANSIONS/MODERNIZATIONS

Fairview Machine has recently added a 20,000-ft2 machinery assembly area to its manufacturing facility located in Chicopee, Mass. This addition gives Fairview Machine a total of 90,000 ft2 of floor area. As part of the expansion, ceiling height has been increased to over 30 ft to provide the area needed to fabricate and assemble single unit and single function machinery.

 

REORGANIZATION

PaperExchange.com has restructured its business plan beyond its original exchange model. While it will continue its efforts to enhance and support the exchange, it is introducing a range of new online order, contract, and inventory management solutions to meet the more complex needs of its customers.

Emerson Electric Co. has announced the formation of the Commercial Industrial Motor Group, a new division that is designed to combine the strengths and resources of the Emerson Specialty and Air Moving divisions as well as U.S. Electrical Motors, formerly a separately-operated division inside the Emerson Motor Co.

 

MARKETING/LICENSING

 

Cimetrix and Siemens Energy & Automation have signed a broad licensing and reselling agreement. The agreement has allowed Cimetrix to incorporate the Siemens SIMATIC STEP IEC-61131-3 development environment and the SIMATIC WinAC PC-based logic engine into its CODE (Cimetrix Open Development Environment) motion control family of products.

Siemens Westinghouse Technical Services has announced an agreement to license the technology portfolio of ei3 Corp. in an effort to bring high-speed remote monitoring and diagnostic services to manufacturers and process industry customers. As part of the agreement, ei3 will work with Siemens to develop a customer command center. The center, to be located near the Siemens headquarters in Alpharetta, Ga., will offer delivery of industrial e-services.

Paperloop and Question.com, a collaborative commerce company, have teamed to power paperloop's new Solutions AdvisorSM, an interactive business network environment designed to connect the knowledge and resources of industry participants throughout paperloop's online community. The new platform is designed to enable prospective buyers, sellers, and complimentary participants to effectively communicate and disseminate information to conduct business in the paper and allied industries.

Aggreko, provider of specialized energy solutions, recently announced its agreement to be Winstar Communications' preferred provider of emergency and critical utility solutions. Winstar Communications is a broadband services company offering local and long distance telephone, as well as high-speed internet access, data, and information services. Under the terms of the agreement, Aggreko will provide preventive maintenance for Winstar's portable air conditioning and generator fleets.

 

NAME CHANGES

Ramsey Technology has announced that it has changed its name to Thermo Ramsey as part of a new corporate identity strategy initiated by its parent company, Thermo Electron Corp.

 

PRICING

Bayer Corp.'s Paper Colorants and Chemicals business unit has announced a price increase for its powdered fluorescent whitening agent products utilized in detergent applications. The increases range from 15% to 18%, depending on the particular product.

Nexen Chemicals has increased sodium chlorate prices by $30/mton and C$50/mton for product delivered in North America.

Ciba Specialty Chemicals has announced a global price increase of 6% to 9% for its complete range of polyacrylamide-based water soluble polymers.

IMERYS' Pigments and Additives Group has announced a price increase on all paper grade Georgia kaolins. The price will increase by an average of 8% and will be effective Jan. 1, 2001.

Thiele Kaolin Co. has announced a surcharge on all products, effective immediately. The surcharge amounts to $3/short ton on hydrous slurry, $6/short ton on spray dried, $3/short ton on airfloat roller mill products, $1/short ton on airfloat slurry, and $18/short ton on calcined products. The surcharge will remain in effect as long as the final settlement price of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) Henry Hub natural gas futures contract for the latest month remains at or above $3.50 per MMBTU. The surcharge is applicable to all products and customers. In addition, a general price increase of approximately 5% on all products will be implemented on Jan. 1, 2001.

The Emulsion Polymers business of Dow Corp. is increasing the prices of styrene/butadiene (s/b) latexes, styrene acrylic (s/a) latexes, solid plastic pigments, and specialty latexes by three cents/lb. Dow cites increased cost for major raw materials as being the driving factor behind the increase.

Borden Chemical's Graphics Group has announced a price increase of 6% to 7% for the printing inks it supplies to the corrugated industry.

 

NEW COMPANIES

Korber PaperLink, the Germany-based holding company for a highly diversified and global group of paper and tissue converting machinery manufacturers, has launched a new business, PaperLink North America, designed to serve converters throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. has announced the formation of Rockwood Specialties Inc., a specialty chemical company comprised of operations acquired from Laporte plc. The acquired operations include: Pigments, Additives, Plastics Compounding, Water Technology, Timber Treatment, and Electronics. The new company will be headquartered in Princeton, N.J.

Fred Lundberg, president of Veritas Consulting, LLC, announces the formation of MTMB-Online, a mill to market benchmarking service based on confidential producer surveys allowing performance comparisons. The service will be available in January at www.MTMB-Online.com. The website is designed and hosted by Applied Network Management Systems of Marietta, GA.

 

CERTIFICATIONS/AWARDS

Ten Motion Industries locations have received ISO 9002 registration. The facilities are located in: Newark, Del.; Rockford, Ill.; Sterling Heights, Mich.; St. Louis, Mo.; Uniontown, Pa.; Monroeville, Pa.; Cleveland, Ohio; Racine, Wis.; Houston, Tex.; and Cambridge, Ont.