Mergers, acquisitions and partnerships
Endress+Hauser acquires Blue Ocean Nova
Endress+Hauser expanded its process analytical measurement portfolio with the acquisition of Blue Ocean Nova AG, a manufacturer of inline spectrometers for monitoring quality-relevant process parameters. The company’s 15 employees located in Aalen, Germany will be retained. Blue Ocean Nova will operate under the umbrella of Endress+Hauser’s center of competence for liquid analysis headquartered in Gerlingen, Germany. The process sensors developed by Blue Ocean Nova cover the relevant optical spectroscopy regions of UV-VIS, NIR and MIR to analyze liquids, gases and solids inline.
Metso acquires WEARX for mining services in Australia
Metso closed the acquisition of Australia-based wear lining solutions provider WEARX. The company’s sales in the fiscal year 2017 ended on June 30 and were AUD $35 million (EUR 23 million). WEARX is headquartered in Newcastle, Australia, with operations also in Ballina, Orange and Perth, Australia. WEARX is a wear solutions provider, addressing the needs of major mining customers by implementing wear technologies to deliver wear protection solutions. Metso is an industrial company serving the mining, aggregates, recycling, oil, gas, pulp, paper and process industries.
Nutec Bickley acquires Olson Industries
Nutec Bickley, an industrial furnace company, acquired Olson Industries, a supplier of industrial furnace and process heat-treating equipment to manufacturers. This acquisition complements Nutec Bickley’s existing product range and allows the company to offer more complete packages for the steel, aluminum, and alloy industries. Bryan Kraus (president and owner of Olson Industries) will be involved in Nutec Bickley’s Metals BU, providing guidance and assistance in related activities such as technical sales and engineering.
Holland finalizes acquisition of T&T Marketing
Holland, a distributor of plastic resins, acquired T&T Marketing, a wire and cable distributor. T&T Marketing will operate as a stand-alone business and retain its name for at least one year before becoming a branded business unit of M. Holland. Longer term, it is M. Holland’s intention to bring T&T Marketing under its unified global brand. T&T Marketing is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts and was founded in 1988. The company will continue to be led by Tom Jordan. All employees will be retained.
LANXESS acquires Solvay’s US phosphorus additives business
Specialty chemicals company LANXESS signed an agreement to acquire the phosphorus chemicals business with a US production site from Belgian chemical group Solvay. The transaction is projected to conclude in the first half of 2018, subject to customary regulatory approvals. With this acquisition, LANXESS will expand its additives segment and grow its business in mid-sized markets and in the regions North America and Asia. The Solvay site in Charleston, South Carolina, includes six production units, where roughly 90 employees manufacture phosphorus chloride plus numerous derivative products such as flame-retardants and intermediates for the agrochemical industry. The additives business represents annual sales of around EUR 65 million and is an important pillar of the LANXESS group.
FCX Performance acquires Eads Distribution & The Massey Company
FCX Performance, a specialty flow control distributor serving OEMs, EPCs and end users across the industrial process, energy and high purity industries, acquired Eads Distribution, based in Houston, and The Massey Company, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Eads Distribution is one of the leading flow control distributors of instrumentation and valves in the U.S., while The Massey Company brings years of specialty flow control experience and expertise to the FCX Performance portfolio. Together, these acquisitions are the largest undertaken by FCX Performance to date, and expand FCX’s footprint to 67 offices nationally, staffed by more than 1,000 employees.
Momar acquires Superco Specialty Products
Momar Inc., a specialty manufacturer of general maintenance and sanitation chemicals, purchased Superco Specialty Products Inc. in the company’s largest acquisition to date. Momar specializes as a total fluids management supplier and provides its customers with products or services available in the areas of maintenance chemicals and equipment, lubrication, water and waste water treatment, food processing chemicals, mineral handling, specialty hardware, industrial safety, and expert application services. Based in Los Angeles County, Superco brings a line of 500 products and 32 professionals to the family-owned and operated firm. With the Superco acquisition, Momar added experienced sales and sales management teams from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. Superco will continue operate “as is,” to distribute and sell its quality line of maintenance products for commercial, industrial, institutional and federal/state agency clients.
Dunleary establishes new corporate identity
Dunleary Inc. established a new corporate identity as The Terra Firma Company LLC. Terra Firma’s mission is to "offer stability to chemical suppliers and customers in an evolving world." The company serves 28 states, has more than 50 employees and covers a wide array of chemical markets, including CASE (coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers), plastics, construction, food, personal care, cosmetics, graphic arts, oil and gas, rubber, textiles and others. Headquartered in Towson, Maryland, Terra Firma will maintain local sales, customer service and distribution in Baltimore, Boston and Dallas. It is among a new class of distributors referred to as "super multi-regional" specialty chemical distributors. The three founding companies of Terra Firma operated across multiple regions of the U.S. since 1949 (Dunleary), 1951 (DN Lukens), and 1975 (D&F). Dunleary first announced its acquisition of the two companies in July 2017, with the deals being completed on Sept. 29, 2017.
Appointments
Grundfos appoints new head for Asia Pacific region
Pump manufacturer Grundfos has appointed Kim Jensen to the role of Group Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of Grundfos Asia Pacific region effective Jan. 1, 2018. In his new role, Jensen will lead the company’s business across 22 countries including 13 wholly owned sales companies and local assembly plants Grundfos operates in the region. He will also be spearheading opportunities for the company’s development and expansion in Asia Pacific. Prior to his Asia Pacific role, Kim was Group Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) markets since 2015
Motion Industries announces organizational changes
Motion Industries Inc., a distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation replacement parts and a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company, recently announced three management changes, effective Dec. 11, 2017. Randy Breaux was promoted to Executive Vice President of Marketing, Distribution, and Purchasing. Kevin Storer was promoted to Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations and President of Mi Mexico, and will maintain responsibility for all field branch sales in the United States and Mexico. Mark Stoneburner was promoted to Senior Vice President of Industry Segments and Business Development. He joined Motion Industries in 2016 as Corporate Account Vice President – Industry Segments.
Sturtevant welcomes Steven Bythrow as new product manager
Sturtevant, manufacturer of material processing equipment has hired Steven Bythrow as product manager of its Simpactor product line, reporting directly to Chris Meadows, VP of Sales & Marketing. In this position, Bythrow is responsible for business and product development activities related to the Simpactor® and Infestroyer® product lines in industrial and sanitary application areas such as food, chemicals, and semi-abrasive materials.
Sulzer appoints US sales manager for high voltage coils
Independent high voltage coil manufacturer Sulzer has appointed Janice Fillinger as the sales manager to cover the U.S. market. Fillinger will be responsible for medium and high voltage coil sales as well as developing new business.
MCAA members elect 2018 board of directors
MCAA President Teresa Sebring certified the election of officers and directors of the Measurement, Control & Automation Association for 2018. Bharat Naik, president of Reotemp Instruments of San Diego, was elected chairman. He has spent more than 20 years in the chemical industry in a variety of technical, commercial and management roles. James M. Waters will serve as vice chairman. Waters joined SOR Controls Group Ltd as president and chief executive officer in April 2012. Bill Edinger, general manager for Process Instrumentation at Siemens Industry Inc. – Process Industries and Drives Division was elected to the board as a director at-¬large with a term through 2020. Also elected as a director at‐large was Ron Hegyesi, president of VEGA Americas. Hegyesi held positions at BASF and Dow Chemical Company before joining Ohmart/VEGA (now VEGA Americas).
The remainder of the board is comprised of immediate past chairman Peter Martin (vice president), Strategic Ventures for Schneider Electric Systems USA Inc., and at-large members Mike DeLacluyse (president of Lesman Instrument Company), Mike Gallagher (president and CEO of Centro Inc.); Gary Johnson (president of Azbil North America Inc.), Don Maness (senior director of North America Channels, Honeywell Process Solutions), Scott Saunders (president and CEO of Moore Industries International Inc.); and Jim Winter (director of Global Process Business, Rockwell Automation). The terms of immediate past chairman Joe Incontri (director of Marketing, Krohne Inc.) and at-large director Stan Ronna (President of Automation Products Group Inc.), concluded at the end of 2017.
