Sierra International Machinery establishes equity partnership in IPS Balers

Recycling Today, July, 2007

Sierra International Machinery LLC, based in Bakersfield, Calif., has announced it has signed a letter of intent to invest in an equity position with IPS Balers Inc., Baxley, Ga. The new company will be called Sierra/IPS Inc.

"We are very pleased to have the opportunity to join with our colleagues at IPS to expand on the production and sale of baling equipment and technology for the nonferrous metals, recovered fiber and solid waste industries," Sierra International President John Sacco says. "Combined with Sierra's expertise in ferrous shears and balers, this investment gives Sierra a strong position across the spectrum of the baler marketplace."

Sierra International, which was founded in 1962, designs and internationally distributes a variety of equipment for the scrap recycling and waste processing industry, including shears, balers and loggers. The company's expertise comes from a long history of equipment manufacturing and from its experience running scrap and recycling operations, which rely on company-manufactured machinery.

IPS Balers, established in 1995, is a leading supplier of baling systems used in the fiber, nonferrous and solid waste industries. The IPS line includes two-ram, high- and low-production auto-tie machines, closed-door units and a complete line of vertical balers. The company's range of machines includes many patented innovations, such as the Conquest and hinged-side open-end auto-tie baler.

The new company will be headquartered in IPS's current Baxley facility. IPS principals, President Sidney Wildes and Vice President Forrest Wildes, will remain in their leadership roles with the company.

More information on Sierra International Machinery and IPS Balers is available at www.sierraintl.com and www.ipsbalers.com, respectively.