PM News: Not The Right Time

Not The Right Time. Gildemeister AG (Frankfort, Germany) recently decided not to acquire the machine tool operations from ThyssenKrupp AG (Düsseldorf, Germany) due to a lack of financing. Gildemeister was expected to acquire ThyssenKrupp’s machine tool operations in January 2003, with ThyssenKrupp taking a nearly 30 percent stake in the company in return. However, Gildemeister said the financing of the deal couldn’t be realized because of the difficult economic environment and the cautious mood of the financial markets, even though the due diligence process was concluded successfully.

New Name. KMT Swiss, Inc. (Louisville, Colorado) has changed its name as a result of Kennametal’s claim of trademark rights to the name. The new name is KSI Swiss, Inc.

But It’s Been Around A LONG Time. This year Shorty’s Tooling & Equipment is celebrating its 35th anniversary. The Taylor, Michigan, company began in 1968. It was started by industry veteran Carl Sherman and Robert “Shorty” Reitz in a small space. Mr. Sherman eventually bought out Mr. Reitz, and the company has continued to grow and improve technologically. It also moved into a new facility in 1996.

They Can Cut It. Richards Micro-Tool (Plymouth, Massachusetts) has acquired the industrial tool business of Cutting Edge Technologies (Bridgewater Corners, Vermont). Richards hopes that by consolidating the two operations into one, it can provide better service and efficiency for customers without creating additional unnecessary capacity in the industry.

In Kalamazoo-zoo-zoo. Colchester CNC has moved its operation from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Kalamazoo, Michigan, home of Clausing Industrial, Inc. The move is designed to consolidate all Colchester marketing, sales and support activities in one location. The company can now be reached at 1819 North Pitcher St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007, phone (616) 345-7155.

Machinery And Tooling. Cold Header Machine Corp. (Boca Raton, Florida) and McCallum Die Co., Inc. (Plymouth, Connecticut) have formed a new partnership titled Cold Header McCallum Die (CHMD). The company is headquartered in Boca Raton and will be a part of the a fastener and OEM industries. The companies in the partnership hope to provide greater value to their customer bases. You can contact the partnership at (800) 438-3201.

Good News For The Small. Congress recently voted to support small manufacturers in the United States by restoring funds for a public-private program said to be critical to stimulating the economy and bolstering the production base to compete with low wage countries. The Omnibus Appropriation Legislation provides $105.9 million for the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership in the FY 2003 budget. The administration had proposed a cut of 88 percent from the FY 2002 funding level.

Discounts Available On Classes. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) has a new agreement with Tooling University that will provide SME members with complete access and discounts to Tooling U’s 60 online classes. Tooling U has beginner and intermediate level classes in shopfloor basics, machining principles, CNC part programming, metalforming, tool setup and more. Classes are mapped to NIMS standards. Visit www.toolingu.com or www.sme.org for more information.

Midwest Move. Erwin Junker Machinery, Inc. has moved from Chicopee, Massachusetts, to Dayton, Ohio. The new 18,000 square-foot facility is in a location that can better serve the needs of the company’s customers, many of whom are local to the area, according to Juergen Richter, president of North American operations. The company can be reached at (937) 433-0774 or www.junker-usa.com.