Oconomowoc-based Sentry Equipment Corp, a worldwide supplier of industrial sampling products and systems, has acquired the assets owned by Accurate Tool Company, based in Kilgore, Texas.
The addition of Accurate Tool’s products is expected to significantly expand Sentry Equipment’s Process Products and Systems portfolio. As the United States pushes for energy independence, maintaining pipeline integrity is top priority of every pipeline operator.
Accurate Tool makes equipment to monitor corrosion in and extract gas and liquid samples from pipelines. That includes tools to insert corrosion monitoring weight loss coupons and other monitoring technologies such as electrical resistance probes into pipelines under normal operating conditions, without venting or draining the line. Corrosion monitoring coupons are used to measure the pipeline’s internal corrosion rate, particularly in the oil and gas industries.
“The Accurate Tool acquisition positions us for significant future growth by playing into the U.S. energy boom,” said Brian Baker, president and chief executive officer of Sentry Equipment Corp. “Technologies such as fracking have increased oil and gas production in the U.S. to levels not seen in 40 years. This energy boom is expected to last a generation or longer. Pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to move petroleum products and monitoring corrosion in pipelines is a top priority for the operator. Sentry brings significant resources to expand Accurate Tool’s product offerings and geographic reach.”
The integration of the Accurate Tool products into Sentry operations is under way, with full engineering and manufacturing operations dedicated toward a smooth transition to Sentry’s Oconomowoc headquarters by early 2014. Sentry has the core capabilities to design, manufacture, and service the existing Accurate Tool products, and the expertise to develop product and system enhancements and extensions in the future. The Texas plant will be closed, and the production will be moved to Oconomowoc, where a handful of additional employees will be hired to accommodate the expansion, a company spokewoman said.
