D&S buys Simonds' granulator business
AUBURN, MASS. - D&S Manufacturing Co. Inc. of Auburn has purchased the granulator and shredder knife business of Simonds International in Fitchburg, Mass.
D&S transferred the operations to Auburn. The deal was part of a Simonds restructuring announced earlier this year.
Separately, Simonds sold its industrial knife business to IKS-ACM, led by a senior management group of former Simonds executives. IKS-ACM picked up Simonds' factory in Florence, S.C.
Terms were not disclosed for either sale.
Toro Co. stocks up on Dri-Air dryers
EL PASO, TEXAS - Toro Co. bought more than 30 of Dri-Air Industries Inc.'s H Series 4 Bed dryers for Toro's injection molding plant in El Paso.
The factory molds parts for Toro string trimmers, residential and commercial irrigation products, lawn blower/vacs and snow blowers. It amounts to millions of parts a year.
Brian Allan, Toro manufacturing project engineer, said the company liked the dryer's performance, and Dri-Air's customer service and support. Toro did comprehensive product testing and benchmarked competing dryers.
The dryers are easy to maintain and allow quick material changeovers, he said.
Dri-Air supplied one of the customized dryer systems for Toro's rotor-driven sprinkler. The parts are laser-etched with the company logo in a secondary operation, using an expensive laser etch concentrate. Because the Dri-Air dryer accurately meters the concentrate, the system paid for itself within a month, Toro said.
Based on the experience in El Paso, Toro has purchased additional H Series 4 Bed Systems for other plants.
Dry-Air is based in East Windsor, Conn.
Vecoplan launches Midwest operation
FLOYDS KNOBS, IND. - Vecoplan LLC, a High Point, N.C.-based manufacturer of industrial shredding and grinding equipment, has opened Vecoplan Midwest LLC in Floyds Knobs to serve a five-state area.
The firm announced the new facility Sept. 22, but it opened in July.
The site will provide sales and distribution, and Vecoplan plans to add technical service and a demonstration and testing laboratory.
Len Beusse, chief operating officer, said the operation has sold four systems.
Beusse said Vecoplan Midwest is run by industry veterans, including Bill Miller, chief operating officer, and Ron King, vice president of sales.
Miller said the company was able to ``hit the ground running'' because of its experience in wood, plastics and paper recycling.