Year-end brings burst of process acquisitions

Pre-empting the end-of-year fireworks, the process equipment marketplace was lit up last month by a spate of mergers and acquisitions that see many famous names under new ownership in the new year.

Kicking off the shake-up was the acquisition of wastewater monitoring specialist Buhler Montec Group by the US Danaher Corporation. The move is aimed at strengthening Danaher's global Environmental Water Group, which already includes brands such as Hach, Dr Lange and American Sigma.

Next in line was an acquisition that should make the signwriters' work easier. By taking over the pharmaceutical division of GEI International, the powder processing conglomerate GEA says it can now ensure the seamless installation of complete tablet manufacturing process lines. Aeromatic-Fielder's Swiss and UK operations are to be merged with GEI's four pharmaceutical companies - Buck, Collette, Courtoy and Gallay UK - to create a new Pharma Systems Group in GEA's Powder Technology Division, which also includes Niro's spray drying business. GEA can now cover all aspects of tablet manufacturing, from raw materials handling through dispensing and blending to tablet pressing.

Following the sale of its Peterborough-based valve division to PCC-Flow Technologies Europe, Reiss Engineering says it is now to focus on products and services for the paper and other process industries.

In another specialist process area, Alfa Laval has acquired the centrifuge and starch processing activities of Dorr-Oliver. Owned by Group Laperriere & Verreault, US-based Dorr-Oliver is the world leader in the starch separation area. GL&V retains Dorr-Oliver's businesses in other areas such as pulp and paper, leaving Alfa Laval to complement its starch processing business with the likes of the Merco, Mercone and ClariDry product lines.

And the first acquisition of the new year sees Dutch company DMN Holding take on Kemutec Group. Both are involved in bulk solids handling, with Kemutec also offering processing machinery. Kemutec will now operate two distinct divisions, Mucon and Kek-Gardner. The Braby silos and systems division is not included.