Acquisitions

Manufacturing Engineering, Sep 2001

Prima Industrie (Turin, Italy), a laser machine-tool manufacturer, purchased the LASERDYNE product line from GSI Lumonics Inc. (Northville, MI). The acquisition was made through Prima US Inc., which will be renamed LASERDYNE PRIMA Inc., and is located in Maple Grove, MN.

EDS (Plano, TX) agreed to purchase Structural Dynamics Research Corp. (SDRC) (Cypress, CA) for approximately $950 million in cash. Concurrent with the SDRC purchase, EDS is offering to buy 14% of its Unigraphics Solutions subsidiary that is publicly held for approximately $170 million. Both companies would be combined under the Unigraphics Solutions name to become EDS' fifth line of business.

SKF (Goteborg, Sweden) acquired Gamfior S.p.A. (Turin, Italy), a manufacturer of spindles and ballscrews for machine tools. This acquisition allows SKF to expand its machinetool spindle lines. Gamfior also provides new locations for SKF spindle service with experienced spindle repair sites in strategic markets.

Leitz Metalworking Technology Group (Oberkochen, Germany), a cutting tool and toolholder manufacturer, acquired Bilz Tool Company Inc. (Melrose Park, IL).

Somec Corp. (Orlando, FL) acquired Dayton Reliable Tool & Mfg. Co. (Dayton, OH), a manufacturer of progressive stamping systems and tooling. The company will retain its name and continue to operate as a separate company.

Bodycote North America Inc. (Dallas), a metallurgical services company, acquired K-Tech Inc. (Hot Springs, AR), which specializes in the application of proprietary, chemically-formed ceramic coatings for various oil-service, fiber production and processing, pumps, and plastic extrusion/injection molding equipment. The acquisition expands Bodycote's line of ceramic coatings and allows it access to new markets.