Friday, August 13, 1999
INDUSTRY NOTES: MANUFACTURING
Machine tool orders fall in June
BY MIKE BOYER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Total machine tool orders in June were an estimated $472 million, down 30 percent from the estimated $676 million a year ago, an industry trade group reported.
The June estimate for machines that cut and form metal was down 2 percent from the revised May estimate of $480 million, the AMT — Association for Manufacturing Technology — reported. The McLean, Va., association computes the estimates from reports filed by participating companies.
For the first half of 1999, estimated orders were $2.6 billion, down 41 percent from the year-ago period.
“Competition in the U.S. market continues to be tough as U.S. builders face diminished machine tool consumption together with increased market pressures from Asian producers,” said Donald F. Carlson, AMT president.
Machine tool exports in June totaled $29.8 million, down 5.4 percent from a year ago. For the year-to-date, exports were down 25 percent.
Eco Engineering buys MechaniSys
Eco Engineering, a Blue Ash consulting firm, recently acquired MechaniSys Inc., a professional engineering and energy audit firm with extensive expertise in heating and air conditioning and other heavy energy-using systems.
Jim Wronkiewicz, who founded MechaniSys in 1993, will be a senior consultant in Eco's consulting group, overseeing energy auditing and complex installations.
SDRC releases new Artisan software
Structural Dynamics Research Corp., the Clermont County engineering software developer, this week announced the release of the latest version of its I-DEAS Artisan software, a lower-cost computer engineering and design software. The program's target market ranges from small manufacturers and vendors to original equipment manufacturers.
Through the first half of this year, SDRC said Artisan sales gained 156 percent compared with a year ago.
Cincom to share in Indian call centers
Cincom Systems Inc., the Springdale software developer, is supporting the launch of five tele phone customer call centers in India with local businesspeople.
The centers in Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Rajasthan will use Cincom's call center software. In return, according to the Times of India, Cincom will share in the profits from the centers, which will manage customer relationships for large corporate clients.
Cincom, which launched operations in India six months ago, is also exploring start-up of a software development center in India.
Halma Holdings buys pressure device maker
Halma Holdings Inc., a British safety and environmental technology company with U.S. headquarters in Sharonville, has bought Oklahoma Safety Equipment Co. Inc. in Tulsa, a leading producer of emergency pressure relief devices.
Financial terms weren't disclosed, but John Conacher, Halma chief executive, said the acquisition, the company's fourth in 18 months and 21st since 1986, takes it to more than $100 million in North American revenues.
Oklahoma Safety Equipment will complement Halma's Elfab Ltd., in the United Kingdom.
Fischer Process adds Foxboro line
Fischer Process Industries in Loveland, formerly Fischer Pump & Valve Co., said its valve and instrumentation group has been named exclusive representative of Foxboro Co.'s measurement and instrumentation division in the Tristate.
The new line makes Fischer one of the largest suppliers of specialty process equipment in the Midwest. Fischer also offers process pumps, control valves, special purpose valves, process mixers and complete process systems and service.
Chemical spill topic of safety meeting
A study of a June 9 chemical spill at Bayer Corp.'s plastics plant in Addyston will be discussed at the Alliance for Chemical Safety meeting at 3 p.m. Wednesday in St. Bernard's City Hall. The alliance is composed of local industries, agencies and citizens interested in chemical safety.
Duramed pill approved
ATP mixes business, play
Drought, glut squeeze farmers
N.Ky. Chamber leader selected
Gibson news as advertised: quarterly loss
Market for electricity sizzles
BET starting online service for blacks
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INDUSTRY NOTES: MANUFACTURING
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