Acquisitions, expansions and partnerships
Yaskawa partners with Spartan Controls
Spartan Controls Ltd. became the exclusive AC drives representative in Western Canada for Yaskawa Electric. Through this partnership, Yaskawa offers Spartan’s portfolio of energy efficiency solutions more than a century of improving productivity through automation.
Badger Meter acquires D-Flow Technology
Badger Meter Inc. signed a definitive agreement to acquire Luleå, Sweden-based D-Flow Technology AB for approximately $23 million in cash. D-Flow Technology specializes in ultrasonic technology, primarily for flow measurement. The move will help Badger Meter enhance its E-Series Ultrasonic product line and lower production costs. The acquisition closed May 1.
Mouser signs global distribution agreement with MEMSIC
Mouser Electronics Inc. signed a global distribution agreement with MEMSIC Inc. As part of the new agreement, Mouser will distribute MEMSIC microelectromechanical systems sensors to customers worldwide. The MEMSIC product line enables mobility and the Internet of Things (IOT) by combining all the essential elements for engineers’ application needs, including solutions for drones, mobile, wearable, industrial, medical and smart parking applications.
TriMet Consulting to serve programming needs of manufacturers
TriMet Consulting was launched to serve the growing number of manufacturers who want on-demand, expert-level computer numerical control (CNC) programming, coordinate measuring machines (CMM) programming and other 3D data-driven services for industrial design-to-inspection applications. The Tampa, Florida-based company aims to unlock bottlenecks in production, measurement and inspection to lead manufacturing companies toward quality products and processes.
ATI relocates and expands UK office
Automation Technology LLC (ATI) is relocating and expanding of its U.K. office following eight consecutive years of continued growth. The move will provide a larger and more efficient workspace for current and future staff. It further underscores the commitment to both their new and established customers in the eastern hemisphere. Aneil Ali, global accounts manager, will continue directing office operations and ATI’s international sales effort from this location.
Hexagon acquires MSC Software
Hexagon AB completed the previously announced acquisition of MSC Software having obtained regulatory approvals and meeting other customary conditions. The acquisition enables Hexagon to better integrate real-world data generated on the production floor with simulation data to further improve a customer’s ability to reveal and correct design limitations and production problems before manufacturing.
Yokogawa, Dover sign strategic collaboration
Yokogawa Electric Corporation subsidiary Yokogawa Corporation of America and Dover Energy Automation joined forces to create the "Well Managed" product portfolio to help operators monitor, control and enhance well site performance to improve productivity and return on investment. The strategic collaboration will increase performance from a single well to an entire field.
Advanced Polymer Monitoring Technologies rebrands with new name
Advanced Polymer Monitoring Technologies underwent a comprehensive rebrand and name change to Fluence Analytics. The company provides proprietary hardware and software products for the industrial and laboratory monitoring of polymer and biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes and R&D applications.
Høglund lands new automation contracts
Høglund Marine Automation secured new contracts to supply automation systems for a liquefied natural gas bunker vessel operated by Bernhard Schulte and two chemical tankers for Sirius Shipping. Both projects require Høglund to work in partnership with customers, shipyards and naval architects to develop new solutions to address complex automation challenges.
Molex joins market leaders on M12 push-pull standard
Molex, Phoenix Contact, Murrelektronik and Binder announced a cooperation agreement to drive the standardization of M12 push-pull connectors. The connector, which can be used without tools, offers advantages during mounting work, especially in confined spaces.
Ritter Technology acquires Fluid Systems Engineering
Ritter Technology LLC acquired Michigan-based Fluid Systems Engineering, strengthening the company’s engineered hydraulic and pneumatic products offerings to customers in the greater Detroit area. Fluid Systems Engineering has served automotive, industrial and government markets for nearly 56 years. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Appointments
John Hrncir. Image courtesy of Weir Oil & Gas
John Hrncir appointed VP for Weir Oil & Gas
Fort Worth, Texas-based Weir Oil & Gas hired John Hrncir as vice president of sales and service, pressure control. In this role, Hrncir is responsible for safety, sales and aftermarket services for Weir’s pressure control business, which includes wellhead and surface control products and services. Previously, Hrncir was director of global sales and marketing, surface wellhead for FMC Technologies. He spent 15 years at FMC in various surface and subsea pressure control roles including general manager of FMC’s U.S. Surface Wellhead. He also worked at Network International, Weatherford, Oil Dynamics and Cameron.
Troy L. Carson named CFO of Hoover Ferguson
Hoover Ferguson Group named Troy L. Carson as its new chief financial officer (CFO). In this role, Carson will be responsible for planning, implementing, managing and controlling all financial-related activities of the company such as direct accounting, finance, strategic planning, property management, deal analysis and negotiations, investor relationships and partnership compliance, and private and institutional financing. He joins Hoover Ferguson from Hercules Offshore, where he served as senior vice president and CFO.
Jim Mugford. Image courtesy of Sulzer
Jim Mugford named head of Sulzer’s electromechanical services
Jim Mugford was named president and global head of Sulzer’s electromechanical services business. In this role, Mugford will be responsible for driving Sulzer’s strategy, growth and profitability for electromechanical services worldwide and creating synergies with the company’s turbo services and pump services business. Mugford joined Sulzer in 2012, during which he restructured and improved the company’s Canadian turbo and pump services operations, grew the U.S. electromechanical business and restructured and integrated the North American pump services business into Sulzer’s Rotating Equipment Services division.
CKF Systems appoints sales and marketing manager
Robbie Dawson. Image courtesy of CKF Systems
Gloucester, England-based CKF Systems Ltd. appointed Robbie Dawson as sales and marketing manager. Dawson rejoins the company after 18 months with a Poole-based systems integrator. He graduated from Exeter University with a First Class Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, followed by a three-year graduate management training program with AzkoNobel.
Awards, milestones and achievements
OTC recognizes industry achievers
Industry experts from more than 100 countries gathered in Houston, Texas, in May for the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). Seventeen technologies from exhibiting companies received OTC Spotlight on New Technology Awards, including two companies that also won the Small Business Award. John Bomba received the OTC 2017 Distinguished Achievement Award for Individuals for 60-plus years of far-reaching contributions to the offshore sector. The Distinguished Achievement Award for Companies, Organizations and Institutions was presented to LLOG Exploration Offshore LLC in recognition of its outstanding work on the Delta House project. OTC’s Heritage Award was presented to George Conner for championing the safe development of new technologies in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, Art Schroeder received a Special Citation for his contributions to the industry and OTC.
SJE-Rhombus received the 2017 Company of the Year award for the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the ESOP Association. Image courtesy of SJE-Rhombus
SJE-Rhombus named ESOP Company of the Year
SJE-Rhombus received the 2017 Company of the Year award for the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the ESOP Association. The award was presented at the chapter’s spring meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The award is presented each year to one of more than 100 ESOP companies in the local chapter based on a strong commitment to employee ownership, a track record of success and wealth building for shareholders, and promotion of the benefits among successful employee companies. SJE-Rhombus will compete against 17 finalists for the National ESOP Company of the Year award, which will be announced at the ESOP Association’s Annual Conference in Washington D.C. on May 11.
Dow and Falcon win 2017 Edison Award for fuel-marker technology
The Dow Chemical Company’s fuel-marker technology ACCUTRACE and Falcon Analytical’s CALIDUS MT received a Silver 2017 Edison Award. Together the unit forms a fuel marking and detection system that allows governments to enforce tax law and prevent criminal activity. The Edison Award honors and recognizes some of the most innovative new products, services and business leaders in the country. Finalists are chosen as the "best of the best” by 3,000 of the world’s top senior business executives, academics and innovation professionals.
Four BASF employees recognized by The Manufacturing Institute
Four BASF employees were among 130 women recognized nationally at The Manufacturing Institute’s 2017 STEP Ahead Awards, which focus on science, technology, engineering and production (STEP). Each year, the program honors female leaders for their advocacy, mentorship, engagement and leadership in the industry.
BASF employees Debbie Dalley, site director in Beaumont, Texas; Laura Fisher, reliability engineer in Freeport, Texas; Regina Molisee, quality & continuous improvement manager in Attapulgus, Georgia; and Ashley Thompson, process engineer II in Chattanooga, Tennessee; received awards. Fisher and Thompson were also among 30 women designated as Emerging Leaders. Additionally, BASF’s Heidi Alderman served as the 2017 STEP Ahead Chairwoman.
BASF receives ACC’s Responsible Care Initiative award
BASF Corporation received the 2017 Responsible Care Initiative of the Year award from the American Chemistry Council (ACC) for its Exposure Reduction Process, the company’s customized environmental health and safety culture change program. The Initiative of the Year recipient is selected by attendees of the ACC’s annual Responsible Care Conference, a forum for more than 300 industry leaders exploring best practices to expand environmental, health, safety and security performance initiatives.
