Anguil Environmental Systems, a Milwaukee-based designer and manufacturer of oxidizing equipment, has created a partnership with Spooner Industries, a convection dryer supplier in the United Kingdom.

Under the agreement, Spooner Industries will build and install Anguil-designed oxidizers on air pollution controlling devices in Europe, focusing on converting, coating and printing applications, said Kevin Summ, Anguil's marketing manager.

Anguil's regenerative thermal oxidizers and direct fired catalytic and thermal recuperative oxidizers are used to destroy volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants often generated in the manufacturing process. Its systems are found in boat-building facilities, wood and paper processors, chemical and pharmaceutical plants, metal-coating plants and other manufacturing or processing sites.

Spooner's equipment is often used in the drying, curing and coating process.

Anguil formerly had a manufacturing facility in the U.K., but closed it several years ago. The company continued to sell products in the U.K. and Europe, but shipping costs became very expensive, Summ said. Spooner and Anguil have worked together on several European projects, making the partnership a natural fit, said Gene Anguil, chief executive officer for Anguil Environmental Systems.

"Not only are our product offerings complimentary, but our firms have a similar philosophy and focus with custom engineered industrial systems," he said.

Anguil, with about 55 employees in Milwaukee, had about $25 million in sales in 2007. The company expects more than $30 million in sales in 2009, based on the new partnership, Summ said.

Weldall Manufacturing Inc., a metal fabricating firm, plans to build a 92,904-square-foot addition to its 99,000-square-foot facility at 2001 S. Prairie Ave., Waukesha. The company also owns 43,500 square feet of space in the building next door.

Weldall has seen strong sales to the mining, construction and power generation industries, said company owner and president Dave Bahl. "I think most metal fabricators are pretty busy," he said. The expansion project is in the planning stages, but construction could begin next year, Bahl said.

The company has 140 employees and will add about 50 to 60 more with the expansion. "We could add 15 more immediately if we could find the right people," Bahl said.

Manitowoc Cranes to expand in Wisconsin
Manitowoc Cranes plans to invest $25 million to expand its plants in Manitowoc and Port Washington. The company expects the expansions to create 157 new jobs. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced the state is providing $1.02 million in Enterprise Development Zone tax credits to assist with the expansions.

"Manitowoc Cranes is exactly the kind of company we are excited to have here in Wisconsin," Doyle said. "Their commitment to developing unique, high-performance products help drive the future of this state."

The company manufactures cranes, refrigeration and marine equipment. The firm said expansions are needed to keep up with the growing worldwide demands for its products.

Doyle said his Next Generation of Manufacturing plan targets $85 million in tax credits to leverage $1.6 billion in private capital investment, creating 5,000 new jobs and training more than 4,000 workers for the manufacturing jobs of tomorrow.

For more information on the Department of Commerce programs and services, contact the area development manager at http://commerce.wi.gov/BD/BD-AreaDevManagers.html.

Gehl Company to be acquired by French firm
Gehl Company announced last week that it will be acquired for $30 per share by its largest shareholder, Manitou BF S.A., a manufacturer and distributor of material handling equipment headquartered in France. The transaction, with an aggregate enterprise value of approximately $450 million, will be executed through a tender offer for all outstanding shares of Gehl by a Manitou subsidiary, Tenedor Corp., followed by a second step, cash-out merger. Gehl Company expects that its current management team will be retained after the transaction.

William Gehl, chairman and chief executive officer of the company, said, "We are pleased to announce the next step in the evolution of Gehl Company toward becoming a more significant player in the global compact equipment marketplace. The combination of Gehl Company and Manitou offers a substantial value to our shareholders today while affording our dealers and employees with future opportunities for continued success."

Manitou currently owns approximately 14.40 percent of Gehl Company's outstanding stock.

Gehl Company is a manufacturer of compact equipment used worldwide in construction and agricultural markets. Founded in 1859, Gehl Company markets its products under the Gehl and Mustang brand names.

Gehl Company's stock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Its acquisition by a French firm means Wisconsin will lose another home-based publicly traded company.

U.S. Chemical to open new warehouse in Watertown
U.S. Chemical, the nation's largest supplier of commercial cleaning solutions, will open a new 150,000-square-foot warehouse in Watertown.

U.S. Chemical, a division of Sturtevant-based Johnson Diversey Inc., will move its warehouse operations from Sturtevant to Watertown. The new building in Watertown at 1009 S. 12th St. will house a key distribution facility for U.S. Chemical, which also operates a manufacturing facility in Watertown at 316 Hart St.

The Watertown site for the new distribution center is jointly owned by Waukesha-based Wangard Partners Inc., RY Holdings LLC and PM Kolosso.

Wangard, led by principal Stewart Wangard, has hired Keller Inc., a general contractor with offices in the Fox Cities, Milwaukee and Wausau, to design and build the warehouse under the direction of Wayne Wiertzema, executive vice president of Wangard Partners.

"In a very short time frame, we worked closely with U.S. Chemical and Johnson Diversey to provide a solution to their distribution needs for this division," Wiertzema said. "It required an extremely tight four-month design, construction and delivery schedule to meet the tenant's needs.We worked with the City of Watertown to fast-track the approval and permit process to start construction."

Pete Slezak, senior vice president of Colliers Barry Inc. in Milwaukee, brokered the deal. Construction of the new Watertown distribution center is expected to be completed by the fall. U.S. Chemical officials were not available to comment about how many jobs will be created at the new warehouse.

Bruno lands WCTC training grant
Bruno Independent Living Aids, a Pewaukee manufacturer of products designed to enhance the lives of individuals with mobility challenges, has been awarded a Workforce Advancement Training grant through Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC), which will allow it to engage in a training program valued at over $100,000.

Bruno will receive a $70,000 grant that will assist WCTC in training Bruno's employees in a range of vital skill areas including: AC/DC electronics, Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, sales/customer Service and teamwork.

MGS Mfg. Group moves forward with new 5-axis machine
The tooling division of the MGS Mfg. Group recently acquired a röders RXP 500 DS 5-axis machine for its new electrode manufacturing cell. The new machine allows the cell to provide a more efficient way to manufacture electrodes with fewer hands-on manual set ups.

"The capabilities provided by this 5-axis machine have increased efficiencies in our tool shop," said Dan Anderson, high speed machine specialist. "It allows us to cut more accurately, rigidly, and at a faster pace."

MGS Mfg. Group will acquire another 5-axis machine by the end of the year.

MGS Mfg Group is a Germantown-based mold making, injection molding, engineering and design company that produces a wide range of products for OEMs and private label customers.

Milwaukee businesses oppose proposed sick leave mandate
The vast majority of businesses in the City of Milwaukee are opposed to a binding Nov. 4 referendum that will require them to provide a minimum amount of paid sick leave, according to a new survey by QPS Companies Inc., a Brookfield-based staffing and recruiting firm.

QPS surveyed executives at 1,200 businesses by e-mail in Milwaukee about how the ordinance would affect their companies.

Among the questions and the findings:

Should the City of Milwaukee be able to require employers to pay for sick leave above FMLA standards?
92 percent of businesses responded no.

What kind of benefit time does your company offer?
75 percent have distinct allocations for vacation, personal and sick days.
22 percent offer paid time off bank (PTO).
4 percent offer no benefit time.

At what point does your business consider sick days to be excessive?
52 percent responded three to five days per year was considered excessive.

Do you feel that the proposed city ordinance granting nine sick days per year is excessive or extremely excessive?
94 percent responded yes.

How do you believe that the proposed ordinance would affect local business?
75 percent responded negatively.

Jaime Maliszewski, owner of three Milwaukee companies, said, "As I stated at the Common Council meeting, this is a terrible idea for Milwaukee. Not only will it not get the worker any new compensation, but it will give prospective new businesses the idea that Milwaukee is anti-business. During a bad year like this year, when sales are down, we will have to re-evaluate our benefit package and rename our flexible vacation days to include vacation and sick days, with no added value to the employees."