BY MIKE BOYER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Kisters Inc. of Erlanger, supplier of shrink- and tray-wrap packaging equipment, has acquired competitor Kayat Engineering Corp. in Edgewater, Fla.
The company will be called Kisters Kayat Inc.
Terms of the acquisition from founders Robert and Tina Kayat weren't disclosed. With the acquisition, German-owned Kisters will consolidate its U.S. operations in Kayat's 35,000-square-foot plant employing about 60 in Edgewater.
Andrew Neagle, president of the combined companies, said Kisters will transfer about six of the 14 it employs in Erlanger to Florida. Most of the remaining employees will staff a smaller sales office here.
Mr. Neagle said Kisters, which has marketed its packaging equipment in the United States for about 10 years, was planning to begin manufacturing here when Kayat Engineering came on the market.
Cincinnati State shows off $1.5M training facility
A new electrical - process control training facility operated by Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is to be unveiled at an open house Monday at the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Sciences work force development and technology center in Bond Hill.
The $1.5 million-plus facility was equiped with donations from Fluor Daniel Fernald and other area companies. Cincinnati State will use the facility to expand its electrical, systems and power control training programs for area employers.
Tours of the center's labs will be available 3-4:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Prem Batra, chairman of Cincinnati State's laser electro-optics technologies program, discusses lasers and their applications at 4:30 p.m. A reception begins about 5:30 p.m.
Those wishing to attend are asked to call Cincinnati State at 569-4680 or 569-1450.
Freeman Co. opens $4.5 M Ohio plant
The Freeman Co. of Erlanger, maker of precision cutting dies, thermoform tooling and cutting and assembly equipment, has opened a $4.5 million technology center in Fremont, Ohio.
The 33,000-square-foot, climate-controlled building increases the company's capacity by 300 percent. Freeman builds cold bent, forged and solid cutting dies, matched metal, contour and three-dimensional tooling for the automotive, apparel, packaging, carpeting and other industries.
SDRC has contract with ABB Group for Europe
Structural Dynamics Research Corp. of Miami Township, Clermont County, said it has signed a contract for its I-DEAS Master Series software and related services with ABB Group's business motors and machines unit.
Terms of the long-term agreement weren't announced, but SDRC said the contract calls for it to provide 47 seat licenses initially but could be expanded to more than 180 seats. SDRC will install the software in several ABB offices in Europe.
ILSCO Corp. picks ICD as representative in west
ILSCO Corp., a Madisonville manufacturer of electrical connectors, has named Intelligent Control Devices Inc. as its new representative in Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska. ICD has represented industrial manufacturers since 1985.
J.W. Harris starts work on Mason headquarters
J.W. Harris Co. Inc., a Blue Ash manufacturer of soldering, brazing and welding alloys, has begun construction on its $50 million headquarters in Mason.
Warren County won a three-state bidding war this year for the project expected to add 100 jobs to the 228 the company now employs. The company expects to begin moving into the 250,000-square-foot building - which will house offices, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution operations - late next year. Warm Brothers Construction Co. is general contractor.
