Page 8 - MetalForming December 2017

News Fronts
Lisi Group, Paris, France, announced that it has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 51 percent of the share capital of Termax Corp., Lake Zurich, IL, a manufactur- er of fastening systems for automotive interiors. Lisi Auto- motive, a division of Lisi Group, serves as a supplier and development partner for automotive OEMs and Tier One suppliers of fasteners and components. The acquisi-
UK-Based Unison to Open U.S. Manufacturing Facility in VA
Mazak Optonics Corp., Elgin, IL, a supplier of laser- cutting systems, has announced the hire of Adam Smelewski as national sales manager. In the positon, Smelewski will oversee devel- opment and management of the Mazak sales team and distribution network through- out North America.
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ArcelorMittal Announces Billion- Dollar Investment Program in Mexico
Metal fabricator, stamper and welder Bermo, Inc., Min- neapolis, MN, announced the promotion of David A. Berdass to the role of presi- dent. Berdass, a third-gener- ation owner of Bermo, replaces Nancy Hartman, who now will serve as the company’s CEO.
Irmco Expands into Southeast Asia
Unison, Ltd., a United King- dom-based manufacturer of tube-bending machines, announced it will open a man- ufacturing facility in Danville, VA. The company plans to ren- ovate a 40,000-sq.-ft. facility and install $1 million worth of equipment in the facility,
Irmco, Evanston, IL, provider of metalforming lubricant
Beckwood Press Compa- ny, Fenton, MO, maker of custom hydraulic presses, automation systems and the Triform line of precision form- ing equipment, has announced that it will transi- tion its corporate headquar- ters to a 55,000-sq.-ft. state- of-the-art facility in the nearby and newly construct- ed Fenton Logistics Park. The building is scheduled for completion in June 2018 and will increase production capacity by nearly 30 percent.
People
which will support the activi- ties of Unison’s plant in North Yorkshire, Scarborough, UK. This will be Unison’s second facility in the United States, joining Unison Tube, LLC, in Candler, NC.
Internet
Training
CCAI Partners with Workshops for Warriors; Announces Finishing for Warriors Program
The Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI) and Workshops for Warriors entered into an agreement to develop an industrial-finishing certificate program for Workshops for War- riors students. The program, Finishing for Warriors, scheduled to launch in 2019, will provide vet- erans, wounded warriors and transitioning service members the opportunity to participate in quality training to prepare them for careers in industrial finishing. The CCAI-developed curriculum will include several programs ranging from 4 to 16 weeks, and including classroom and hands-on learning.
For more information on the programs, visit www.wfwusa.org.
Lincoln Electric Launches New Education Website
tion will expand Lisi Automo- tive’s presence to the North American market.
technology, announced its global expansion into South- east Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.
Facilities
Exair, Cincinnati, OH, a provider of compressed-air products for industrial plants, announced the launch of the company’s new website, www.exair.com. The website is compatible with all manner of devices, and offers improved account-management and ordering processes like one- click repeat orders and easily- editable company information. Still offered are the website’s existing informational models, case studies, maintenance guides, etc., along with the online customer-support chat feature.
Lincoln Electric, Cleveland, OH, a manufacturer of weld- ing, cutting and brazing sys- tems, announced the launch of a new educational website, education.lincolnelectric.com. The new site provides stu- dents, educators, corporate trainers and design engineers with a common interface and access to the company’s weld- ing-education information and products. The site also fea- tures a purchasing portal, where qualified schools can access discounted pricing on necessary supplies.
Business Notes
The transaction is a two- step structured acquisition, with Termax shareholders committing to sell 51 percent of the company’s share capi- tal to Lisi Automotive now and the rest of the remaining shares by the fiscal year 2021, at which point Lisi Auto- motive will own 100 percent of the share capital of Termax. Termax will be consolidated with the Lisi Group upon close of the first step (expected by the end of this year).
Beckwood Relocates
Exair Launches New Website
Lisi Group Acquires Majority of Termax
ArcelorMittal, a Luxem- bourg, Belgium-based steel producer, announced a $1 bil- lion, 3-yr. investment program at its Mexican operations. The main investment will be con- struction of a hot-strip mill, expected to take approximate- ly three years. Upon comple- tion it will enable ArcelorMittal Mexico to produce 2.5 million tons of flat-rolled steel.