Einar Tangen, SBT's new correspondent in China, shines light on how Wisconsin businesses can do business in China. Read more in the latest edition of Dispatches From China.

Quest Technologies Inc., an Oconomowoc manufacturer of noise, heat stress and vibration monitors, will be acquired by 3M for an undisclosed amount.  Quests' monitors measure workplace safety, including noise and heat levels. 3M will add the company to its existing workplace safety lines, which include respiratory, hearing and eye protection, as well as first responder, industrial, automotive, shipbuilding, military, home improvement and consumer safety products.  Quest employs about 95 workers at its headquarters in Oconomowoc. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

BWAY Corp., which has a metal can manufacturing facility in Sturtevant, recently received $150,000 in technology zone tax credits from the state of Wisconsin. The credits will assist the company in its plans to invest about $3.5 million in new equipment for a new aerosol can manufacturing line, a state press release said.  The new line is expected to create 10 new jobs.  BWAY Corp. is based in Atlanta, GA and has other manufacturing facilities in Chicago, Cincinnati, California, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where it makes metal and plastic containers used for paint, petro chemicals, foods and household and personal products.

Joy Global Inc., a Milwaukee mining equipment manufacturer, recently updated its fiscal 2008 guidance to reflect higher purchase accounting charges related to the acquisition of Continental Global Inc. and charges associated with the expected early termination of a maintenance and repair contract. The charges will adversely affect the company's earnings per share guidance for full-year fiscal 2008. Preliminary asset valuations associated with the purchase accounting of Continental Global, Inc. are higher than previously estimated. The additional charges resulting from these higher valuations are expected to reduce earnings per share by 5 to 6 cents for the full year, with the majority coming in the second fiscal quarter. The maintenance and repair contract costs are expected to adversely impact earnings per share by 14 to 17 cents per share for the fiscal year. Mike Sutherlin, president and chief executive officer of Joy Global, said, "The maintenance and repair contract is unique since it is associated with the first sale of a new product, and its resolution will enhance our earnings in future years. The increased purchase accounting charges for Continental will impact reported earnings but do not affect the underlying earnings ability of this business."

Brady Corp. recently published a white paper on The Virtual Workplace, titled, "Sustain the Gains of Lean Improvements" online at www.bradyid.com/visualworkplace.  Concepts covered in the paper include: how work information deficits create waste;the benefits of visuality in eliminating information deficits; the role of visual workplace in key lean concepts such as 5S, standard work and quick changeover, total productive maintenance, Kanban pull production and lean communication and displays.  The white paper is available for free download.

Kenosha-based Centrisys Corp. manufactures Centrifuge systems used in water and wastewater treatment, oil processing and recovery, food processing and biofuel plants throughout the world. Learn more about the company in the latest edition of the SBT Manufacturing Spotlight. For a list of past Made in Milwaukee profiles, click here.

CNH Capital expands into Puerto Rico
As part of a strategic growth initiative aimed at developing new markets for its products and services, CNH Capital, the financial services business of Racine-based CNH Global N.V., today announced that it is now serving equipment dealerships and their customers in Puerto Rico.  CNH Global manufactures agricultural and construction equipment. CNH Capital's equipment financing products will be sold through the agricultural and construction equipment dealerships that represent the CNH family of brands in Puerto Rico, including New Holland, New Holland Construction and Case Construction.  "Equipment is a major investment for dealers and their customers," said Brett Davis, senior director of CNH Capital Ag Financial Solutions. "By establishing a presence in Puerto Rico, we can now offer equipment financing that makes investing in our equipment brands both easy and affordable." CNH Capital's initial product offering in Puerto Rico includes wholesale and retail equipment financing. CNH Global is a majority-owned subsidiary of Fiat Group.

ASQ names new officers
Robert Saco will become the next president of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), an international organization that is based in Milwaukee. Saco will succeed Michael Nichols, who will assume the role of chairman on July 1. Saco is the owner and principal of Aporia Advisors Inc., based in Coral Gables, Fla. His areas of expertise consist of strategic planning, customer satisfaction measurement, operational process improvement and reengineering, performance assessments, Six Sigma implementation, organizational design, and business transformation initiatives. The ASQ has been a leading world authority on quality for more than 60 years. With more than 90,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange to improve business results, and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide.

"ASQ is becoming a global organization to better serve our members and to help promote sound quality practices around the world," said Saco. "I look forward to the day when ASQ transitions from an American society with international members to a truly global society with a home and inspiration in America. By reaching out and helping others across the globe we can take ASQ to a higher level of excellence. We are honor-bound to improve things. It's in our nature. And when someone asks what we do … I believe we should justifiably say that we're making the world a better place to live in." The other new officers of ASQ are: president-elect Peter Andres; treasurer E. David Spong; newly elected board members Darlene Deane, Alexis Goncalves, Marc Kelemen, Art Trepanier; and reelected board members Belinda Chavez, Lou Anne Lathrop, Aimee Siegler and Steve Wilson.

Entering the Global Marketplace: Building a Solid Foundation for International Success Seminar, June 10, 7:30 a.m.-noon with optional lunch from noon to 1 p.m., The Horton Group, N19 W24101 N. Riverwood Drive, Waukesha; presented by World Trade Center Wisconsin; includes presentations by Foley & Lardner, JP Morgan Chase, The Horton Group, Virchow Krause and WTC Wisconsin; $40 for WTC members, $55 for non-members; to register, click here. (http://www.wistrade.org/Registration/index.asp?E=561). Will make link once posted.

Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo, May 21-22, Midwest Airlines Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee; includes new technologies from 3M, Brady Corp., Cembre Inc., Conntek ISI, Daniels Manufacturing Corp., Diamond Die & Mold Co., Eraser Co. Inc., ETCO Inc., Grayline Inc., Image Industries Inc., MAX Co. Ltd., Mecal by Starn, National Plastics & Seals, OES Inc., Quick Cable Corp., Radix Wire Company, Sonobound Ultrasonics, and Spectrum Technologies; for information, visit www.electricalwireshow.com.