Manufacturing

Dielectric Corp., a Menomonee Falls-based manufacturer of custom plastic and non-ferrous parts, sub-assemblies and finished products, announced today that it has acquired Centerline Machine Inc. of Waupaca at an undisclosed price.

About 140 strength training machines made by JHTNA Manufacturing LLC of South Milwaukee are being recalled due to the handle attachment detaching during use.

Johnson Controls Inc., Hitachi Ltd. and Hitachi Appliances Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to form a global joint venture.

The Milwaukee franchise of Sign-A-Rama plans to move its operations to a new building that it plans to build in the Menmonee Valley Industrial Center.

Surveys conducted by John Kotter back in the 1980s suggested that more than 60 percent of all change initiatives fail. Further studies by McKinsey later validated that despite our increasing knowledge and experience, the statistics for failed changes remain intact. This means that the majority of lean initiatives that you may have introduced in the past have failed to deliver the expected or desired outcomes to the extent possible. This isn’t to say that there haven’t been improvements, but they simply have not been as substantial as originally expected.

Racine-based Modine Manufacturing Co., a global leader in thermal management technology and solutions, is offering several free courses from Monday, Jan. 26 – Wednesday, Jan. 28 at the 2015 AHR Expo: The World’s Largest HVACR Marketplace, taking place in Chicago.

Registration is open for the 2015 Focus on Manufacturing Breakfast scheduled for Friday, Feb. 27. Organized by the Wisconsin Manufacturers Commerce, it will be held from 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.

Durham, N.C.-based Cree Inc. has filed complaints with the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin to curb alleged infringement on Cree’s patented technologies. Cree, an innovator of LED lighting, manufactures lighting products in Sturtevant, where it employs more than 1,100 employees.

Hartford-based Broan-NuTone LLC has unveiled the Broan Ventilation Fan with Sensonic Stereo Speakers, which allows consumers to easily enjoy music or their favorite audio wirelessly from their own devices during their morning routines in the bathroom.

Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Motor Co. is finalizing a 75-year agreement with city officials from Sturgis, S.D., to make it the official motorcycle of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally through 2090.