Company Briefs (November 01, 2008)

• Poulies Maska Inc. (Maska Pulleys), Ste-Claire, QC, has been acquired by Baldor Electric Company, Fort Smith, AR. Maska is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of sheaves, bushings, couplings and related mechanical power transmission components. Baldor markets, designs, and manufactures industrial electric motors, power transmission products, drives and generators.

“We are excited to announce the addition of Maska to our line of mechanical power transmission products,” said John McFarland, chairman and CEO of Baldor. “Over the past five years, the management team at Maska has increased sales and profits by nearly 50%. Their two automated and efficient facilities produce a large variety and some of the highest quality products available in the marketplace.

Maska has 180 employees primarily located in Canada, plus a new facility in China. Its 2007 sales were around US$33 million. “Maska’s sheaves and bushings complement our Dodge line with each having success in different parts of the market,” said McFarland.

The transaction was funded by cash and an existing credit facility. Additional terms were not disclosed. For more information, visit www.maskapulleys.com.

• A new brand campaign, designed to stimulate customers’ knowledge and understanding, has been launched by NSK Canada, Mississauga, ON. The plan includes campaign activities centred on the new tagline, ‘Think NSK’. “We needed a flexible tagline that would allow us to tailor messages that would connect with our different customers and partners, and ‘Think NSK’ delivers,” said Colin Figgens, president and COO. “With ‘Think NSK,’ we can communicate the advantages of our unique brand attributes and the benefits of choosing NSK, including experience, reliability, performance, value, innovation and delivery.”

The ‘Think NSK’ concept addresses each customer’s individual requirements and promotes top-of-mind recognition for each, said Figgens. “For the design engineer, ‘Think NSK’ means integrating NSK products into designs for better performance. For the aftermarket end-user, it means requesting NSK products from distributors for the security of NSK quality. For distributors, it means keeping NSK products available and always recommending them to their customers.”

NSK is one of the world’s largest bearing manufacturers, employs over 25,000 people worldwide, has 60 global manufacturing facilities and over 127 sales offices, operates 12 technology centres and produces and distributes over 100,000 different types of bearings, linear motion and automotive component products.

• QM Bearings has named Lance Ross as its new regional sales manager, to work with customers and distributors in the British Columbia and Manitoba areas. Ross has over 20 years experience in the power transmission industry. He can be reached directly at 604-803-4511 or lross@qmbearings.com.

• It is with great sadness that the employees of Nachi Canada Inc. announce the passing of their president, Kazuo Kumabe. Mr. Kumabe was president of Nachi Canada Inc. from 1989 to 2008. He lead the Nachi Canada office with a quiet confidence that produced positive results throughout his entire term as president. He is described as being passionate about his work but he also enjoyed life to its fullest.

• The acquisition of Peer Bearing Company and its manufacturing operations in China and Thailand by the SKF Group has been completed. Peer’s bearing products are sold primarily in the North American market and to certain segments not currently served by Gothenberg, Sweden-based SKF. Peer’s 2007 sales amounted to almost US$100 million and the company has about 1,400 employees. Peer now becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of the SKF Group and continues to operate independently on the market under the existing Peer brand. The acquired manufacturing plants are located in Xinchang and Changshan, China and in Rayong, Thailand. Peer’s main sales operation is located in Waukegan, IL.

• Kinecor, a Toronto-based distributor of industrial products, has agreed to acquire the Process Equipment Division of Weir Canada Inc. for $25.4 million, subject to post-closing adjustments. Approval of the acquisition by the federal Canadian Competition Bureau was achieved Sept. 10, 2008. Weir Canada Inc., a division of Weir Services, is a source of engineered industrial, instrumentation and process control products, pumps and engineering and marine services. It consists of five operating units: Weir Engineering Services, Weir Global Parts Solutions, Weir Canada Pumps, Weir Process Equipment and Weir Marine Engineering. The company was launched in Montreal in 1897 as the Peacock Brothers and began marketing Weir pump products made in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1910. The process equipment division was created in 2002.

Weir Process Equipment, previously known as Peacock Inc., is a distributor of pumps, process controls and instrumentation, filtration products and mate-continued rial handling equipment to the oil and gas, power generation, mining and infrastructure sectors across Canada. Kinecor provides bearings and power transmission products, hydraulics components and systems, and process equipment to Canadian industry. It operates through 55 branches across Canada. The acquisition of Peacock adds eight more branches. The new Peacock Division of Kinecor will be managed by Simon Bennington.

• Rus Magnusson is now the western regional sales manager for Advantage Sales Network Corp., Brampton, ON. He is responsible for all sales activity from Manitoba and West and will manage the three regional sales offices in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. In addition, he will oversee the operations of the company’s two fee-warehouse locations in Edmonton.

• Philadelphia Gear, King of Prussia, PA, a provider of gearing and power transmission solutions, has appointed James Haldane as regional sales manager for the Western Region of Canada, encompassing British Columbia and Alberta. Based in Black Diamond, AB, he brings to the job nearly 20 years of sales and hands-on experience with rotating equipment and applications.

• As the eyes of the world turn to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, few will see the thousands of hours required to deliver an incredible event while ensuring the safety of everyone — from volunteers, officials and members of the Games workforce to spectators and athletes. To support this goal, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has announced that Acklands-Grainger Inc. has been named Official Supplier of Industrial Safety and Material Handling Equipment. Acklands-Grainger will provide safety supplies, such as hard hats, safety vests, emergency blankets and traffic cones, together with welding equipment, industrial shelving and lockers, pallet jacks, platform trucks and hand trucks. This equipment will be used both in the preparation and support of venue and logistical operations during the 2010 Winter Games.

Acklands-Grainger is Canada’s largest distributor of industrial and safety supplies, with over 100,000 in-stock products available from 155 branches and five distribution centres from coast to coast.

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. For details on the games, visit www.vancouver2010.com.

• The Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers (STLE) Toronto Section has launched a revamped and enhanced website with a new website address: www.torontostle.com.Sections on the site include About STLE, Tribology 101, Upcoming Events,
archived newsletter editions as well as past program materials, links to other STLE sections and a special Members Only area.

• Chevron Corp., San Ramon, CA, has launched a U. S.-based public campaign called ‘I Will’ that is designed to raise awareness of the importance of energy efficiency and conservation. “Energy efficiency is the cheapest and most reliable source of new energy that we have,” said Chevron vice-chairman Peter Robertson. “With demand for energy continuing to rise across the United States and around the world, it’s imperative that we use the resources we already have more efficiently. We hope our new campaign will help raise awareness of the power of energy efficiency and encourage individuals to take actions to use energy more wisely.” The ‘I Will’ campaign will appear on television and in major print publications and online media.

‘I Will’ is part of Chevron’s long-term commitment to efficiency and conservation. It is a continuation of the dialogue on energy issues that began last fall with the company’s ‘The Power of Human Energy’ advertising campaign, which sought to raise awareness and encourage discussion about the major issues surrounding energy.

“Chevron is committed to expanding its energy efficiency and conservation efforts both inside the organization and outside,” Robertson said.