Mergers & Acquisitions

Badger Gasket in Richfield in Washington County is being purchased by Cooper Manufacturing Co. of Marshalltown, Iowa.
Completion of the acquisition, subject to certain legal procedures, is expected to be consummated by Sept. 1
Cooper Manufacturing, established in 1913, operates in a110,000-square-foot facility in Marshalltown and a 27,000-square-foot facility in Arkansas. It currently employs 92 people.
“The synergies involved will result in better growth potential with an overall reduction in overhead,” said Ron Kelling, president of Cooper Manufacturing.
Badger Gasket was founded in 1994 and, while serving a nationwide market, has the majority of its business in the Midwest. Its market includes small engine, outboard motors, snowmobiles, motorcycles, compressors, small appliances, and general industrial.
Badger Gasket is located in an 11,000-square-foot facility in the Helsan Business Park along Highway 145. It produces more than 25 million hard and soft gaskets per year with its 19 employees. The Richfield operation will be maintained.
William H. Wetterau and Charles H. Gauger are the principles in Badger Gasket.
Martin Products Corp. and Structural Bonding Systems have merged to form Spectrum Contracting Corp. The business is located at 815 Beech St. in Grafton, with a regional office and shop in Addison, Ill.
Structural Bonding had been a restoration firm while Martin Products dealt in protective coatings.
OnCourse Technologies of New Berlin has acquired Cam Solutions of Bloomington, Minn., OnCourse president Charles Beyer and Cam founder-president Kevin Bork announced.
OnCourse technologies went public in 1998 largely to obtain a stock-based “warchest” for acquisition and development. The firm immediately implemented its plan with the aggressive acquisition of New Berlin-based Micro Estimating Systems in the second half of 1998.
By adding Cam Solutions’ additional reach, this transaction is the planned next step in a carefully projected enterprise. “Each acquisition is a load-bearing foundation-stone in the finite design for this enterprise”, says Bernard (Woody) Woods Ill, OnCourse chairman and CEO.
“Cam Solutions’ expertise at integrating disparate software systems now plays an essential role in our complete market strategy,” Woods said, “a fact which will become more evident at the time of our next ‘joint-venture’ announcement, in June.”
Cam Solutions is a 10-year old rep organization for several well-known manufacturing software products including those of sister company Micro Estimating Systems. It presently serves a market in the upper Midwest, from Illinois to North Dakota. Its manufacturing software products include estimating, CAD/CAM, and direct numerical control software. It develops products that enhance the use of the parent company’s software with that of other vendors.
OnCourse Technologies, Inc., with more than 450 shareholders in 26 states, was organized to acquire and develop software, systems and services companies, and products in Internet-sensitive, manufacturing markets. Micro Estimating’s high precision manufacturing software has application via the Internet and is the platform for development of a complete e-business product line.
S-F Analytical, a 100-year-old Milwaukee firm, has merged with the bioassay laboratory of Integrated Paper Services, according to Ed Treick, president of S-F Analytical and Salman Aziz, IPS president.
New sites; expansions
The Mutual Savings Bank Commercial Banking Division has moved from the Mutual Savings Bank corporate offices at 4949 W. Brown Deer Road in Milwaukee to 400 N. Moorland Road in Brookfield.
Hometown Publications, the publisher of several free weekly papers in the Milwaukee area, has purchased seven free weekly papers from Conley Publishing. The purchase of the seven Sunday Post papers brings the total circulation of Your Hometown Newspaper Network’s 19 papers to 365,000, according to Hometown president, Ken Ubert.
CyberLink Network, a Racine-based Internet service provider, is moving its point of presence in downtown Chicago and has completed a new physical POP in Grunee, Ill. The firm also has POPs in Racine, Kenosha, West Allis and Milwaukee.
Heritage Carpet & Interiors has re-opened at the Hartbrook Mall after an expansion and remodeling project which was handled by Oliver Construction Co. of Oconomowoc and designed by architect Bud Bessler. The plans increased the showroom to 7,000 square feet while the warehouse and custom-built divisions were increased by 4,000 square feet.
Ver Halen, The Pella Window Store in Racine has relocated to 1122 S. Airline Road, said Chris Calawarts, managing partner.
Trade Leads
This is a sample of export trade leads provided by the Milwaukee Export Assistance Center, U.S. Department of Commerce. The following companies are interested in purchasing quality American products. To receive a copy of any of these leads, please fax your request to 414-297-3470 and indicate by identifying number which leads you would like to receive.
Russia #462-01-35: Galvanized sheet steel in coils. Must meet Russian standards or closest equivalent. Coil width 1100 and 1250 mm; thickness 0.5 and 0.7 mm. Immediate requirement for 500-600 metric tons per month. Buyer is a manufacturer and wholesaler of trapezoid bent sheets and nails.
Russia #462-06-02: Canned green peas. Standard quality in tin cans of approximately 400 grams each. 40-60 metric tons per month for immediate delivery to St. Petersburg-based importer.
Rwanda #769-06-03: Powdered milk in 25 and 50 kilogram bags, as well as cooking oil. Firm is a private trading company specializing in food products.
Saudi Arabia #517-06-04: Unsweetened chocolate in blocks for baking cakes. Needed immediately in 5 kg blocks with Arabic and English labeling and one-year shelf life.
Ukraine #494-06-05: Aquariums and terrariums and related equipment, such as filtration systems, water heaters, CO2 systems, lighting systems, fish food, and vitamins and medicines for fishes. Equipment should be for use with aquariums and terrariums of 100-300 liter capacity. Buyer can offer pre-payment and wishes to establish long-term relationship with U.S. suppliers.
United Kingdom #412-06-06: Shredded mozzarella cheese. Interested in 20 metric tons per month for delivery direct to UK.
Yemen #521-06-07: Equipment and tools for drilling water wells; heads and bits for drilling equipment; submersible water pumps for irrigation. Firm specializes in import, wholesale, and distribution of water well drilling equipment and tools. Represents U.S. firms Ingersoll Rand and Geven International.
For more information please call the Milwaukee Export Assistance Center at 297-3473. The U.S. government assumes no responsibility for the outcome of any business transaction resulting from publication.
New Firms
Jim and Barbara Berner and their son Jeff have purchased a HobbyTown USA franchise for the Brookfield and northwestern Milwaukee market. The new store, which opened this month, is in Loehmanm’s Plaza at 17115-C W. Bluemound Road in Brookfield. The parent company is based out of Lincoln, Neb. and currently has 118 stores open or under development in 40 states.
The Waterstone Group, a technical staffing company with offices in Mequon, Plymouth and Green Bay, has formed a new division: Employment Administration Services. The division is a professional employer organization (PEO).
Scott Rasmussen, formerly first vice president and division head of commercial banking in southeasternWisconsin for Firstar, is in charge of business development as senior vice president. The business is at 1025 W. Glen Oaks Lane in Mequon and at 506 E. Mill St. in Plymouth.