Jor-Mac acquires Muza Metal Products
The Jor-Mac Company of Lomira, maker of metal fabrication parts and electro-mechanical assemblies, announced it has acquired Oshkosh-based Muza Metal Products, LLC. Muza will continue to operate under its same legal entity name and maintain its existing leadership team, including President and Chief Operating Officer John Kriz.
“This strategic acquisition expands Jor-Mac’s net capabilities in operations, engineering and sales to deliver unparalleled support for its customers,” said a Jor-Mac Company statement. “Both locations have significant opportunities to further expand capacity and output. We will be able to further increase our capacity and offer our partners an expanded set of solutions through the synergies that will be gained through this merger of two solid companies.”
VPI completes consolidation of production facilities
VPI, Inc. has announced the sale of its 100,000-square-foot production facility located at 2730 N. Roemer Road in Appleton to a local mechanical contractor, August Winter & Sons, Inc. The sale marks the final step in VPI’s efforts to streamline production operations into one 400,000-square-foot facility at 110 N. Kensington Drive.
“While VPI has grown and evolved over the years, so has our real estate portfolio. At the end of 2022, we owned or leased nine properties. It was at that point that we established a strategic initiative to streamline our real estate holdings to align with our business needs — both now and into the future. We laid out a vision that included two core real estate hubs, one for production and one for our many community programs, while maintaining our downtown Appleton Community Outreach Center. The sale of our Roemer production facility and consolidation to our Kensington campus gives us our production hub,” said Tim Riebau, VPI, Inc. president and CEO.
Manitowoc Tool acquires MVI Machine
Manitowoc Tool & Machining has acquired MVI Machine Company of Kaukauna. MVI, which opened in 1996 as a producer of parts for industries including mining, power generation, defense, aerospace and oil/gas, will continue to operate under its current name. With the acquisition, Manitowoc Tool now has more than 500 employees and will produce more than 250 precision machine tools.
“We see many avenues for continued growth, including sharing best practices and industry knowledge,” Rick Swoboda, president of Manitowoc Tool, said. “The company has done a great job of delivering quality and innovative products. The management team has rich experience in this industry, and we look forward to working with them on a number of growth initiatives.”
Marinette piston plant to be sold to German company
The German firm Comitans Capital AG will purchase KS Kolbenschmidt, a small-bore piston plant in Marinette, by the end of March. Terms for the transaction were not released, but Comitans Capital AG said it intends to run the small-bore pistons unit as an autonomous, independent company with its current management under the brand name of Kolbenschmidt Pistons. There are currently 181 full-time employees at the Marinette plant, where a 35,000-square-foot expansion was recently completed.
“With support from Comitans Capital AG, we’re going to permanently position Kolbenschmidt Pistons as an independent, profitable enterprise,” said Klaus Semke, future CEO of Kolbenschmidt Pistons. “Besides pistons for passenger cars, pistons for heavy-duty trucks and the off-highway segment are going to play an important role.”
Sofidel acquires Minnesota mill
Sofidel, a global manufacturer of paper for hygienic and domestic use that owns a converting plant in Green Bay, has acquired a paper mill in Duluth, Minnesota, from ST Paper. The plant has a production capacity of 65,000 metric tons per year and employs 80. ST Paper also owns a plant in Oconto Falls.
“This is an important acquisition, allowing us to immediately meet the growing demand, which saw a significant upturn in 2023. What we are acquiring is a technologically advanced plant that further improves our geographic coverage and creates the conditions to strengthen and sustain growth in what is our main market,” said Luigi Lazzareschi, Sofidel CEO.
Courtney Woolen Mill to be sold
The owners of a 144-year-old mill in Appleton announced last month that they are retiring and selling the historic building. Kelley Woolen Mill was founded on the banks of the Fox River in 1880 and purchased by the Courtney family in 1904. According to the business’s website, the first mill was powered by a water mill that ran the same Davis and Furber carding machine still used today. The property at 401 E. Water St., which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, is listed for $495,000 and will remain open for normal business hours while it is being marketed, according to a social media post from the company.
SNC acquired by Allient Inc.
SNC Manufacturing, an Oshkosh-based designer and global manufacturer of electrical transformers for the defense, industrial automation and energy industries with facilities in Oshkosh, China and Mexico, has been acquired by Allient Inc., a global equipment manufacturer currently headquartered in Buffalo, New York. Under the agreement, SNC will become a technology unit within Allient’s allied power technology unit.
Allient CEO Richard Warzala said current SNC President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Koepke will continue to lead SNC, which has 440 employees, adding that owner John Vette III selected Allient to carry forward the legacy of the 68-year-old company he has led in Oshkosh for five decades. “We welcome the leadership team and the entire SNC workforce to the Allient family, and we look forward to continued growth and success in the future,” Warzala said.
Braun to retire from post as Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry president
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry Division President Bob Braun has announced he will retire in June after 46 years of service to the company. Braun will be succeeded by Pat Meredith, who joined WAF in 2021 when it acquired Wabash Castings of Wabash, Indiana. Meredith has served Wabash Castings for 40 years, most recently as vice president and general manager.
“Bob is the living embodiment of the type of home-grown ingenuity, grit and vigor that drives American manufacturing,” said WAF CEO Sachin Shivaram. “He will be dearly missed by our entire team, and we wish him and his family all the best in retirement.”
Five New North processors receive dairy grants
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced that 15 Wisconsin dairy companies, including five in the New North region, will receive Dairy Processor Grants to help foster innovation, improve profitability and sustain the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s dairy processing facilities. Since 2014, DATCP has received a total of 235 Dairy Processor Grant proposals requesting a total of more than $9.2 million. DATCP has funded 121 of those proposals.
Recipients from Northeast Wisconsin include Oak Grove Dairy, Inc., Clintonville; Old World Creamery, LLC, Sheboygan; Pine River Pre-Pack, Inc., Newton; Rosewood Dairy, Inc. d/b/a Renard’s Cheese, Algoma; and Weyauwega Cheese, LLC.
Endries International acquires Mississippi-based distributor
Endries International, Inc. of Brillion announced the acquisition of Jackson, Mississippi-based Ace Bolt & Screw Co. Inc., one of the largest fastener distributors in the southeastern United States. Ace President Randy Clark will remain in his leadership position.
“We are honored to welcome the Ace family into the Endries fold,” said Endries Chairman of the Board Steve Endries. “Ace’s culture and business model perfectly complement our growth strategy.”
Manufacturing Matters! is April 11 in Brookfield
WMEP Manufacturing Solutions’ 26th annual Manufacturing Matters! conference will be held April 11 at the Brookfield Conference Center. This year’s conference, themed “Navigating the Unknown,” will delve into the transformative challenges shaping the manufacturing sector, echoing the findings from the 2023 Wisconsin Manufacturing Report. A “Celebration of Wisconsin” reception will also be held the prior evening.
Keynote speakers for this year’s event will be Kenny Randle, John Koskinen and Ryan Lonergan. Randle will share expertise on navigating and strategizing within the manufacturing landscape. Koskinen, Wisconsin’s chief economist, will bring the latest economic data to life. Lonergan, a 2023 40 Under 40 honoree from Insight, is an advocate for and expert on Wisconsin’s military veteran community.
For registration and more information, visit wmep.org/events/manufacturing-matters/.
