January 8, 2008

Joy Global Inc., Milwaukee, WI, supplier of mining equipment, has agreed to acquire NES Group’s Continental Global Inc., a conveyor systems supplier focused on mining and other industrial applications, for $270 million.
 
Continental has customers on six continents and facilities in the U.S., UK, South Africa and Australia. Continental’s 2007 sales of conveyor equipment are expected to be $340 million.
 
All businesses of NES unrelated to conveyor equipment, including the company’s axle products business, will stay in the hands of NES Group.
 
Continental Global expands the range of products and services we can deliver to our customers, and is consistent with our strategy of adding related and highly synergistic product lines,” said Mike Sutherlin, …

German manufacturer Bosch has acquired laser-leveling business RoboToolz Ltd., headquartered in Hong Kong.
 
The acquisition expands the company’s capacity in measuring tools.
 
RoboToolz has four locations: two in China and one each in the U.S. and Germany. In 2006, the company had sales of $11 million.
 
In acquiring RoboToolz, we are continuing our growth course in the promising segment of measuring tools,” said Uwe Raschke, president of the Bosch Power Tools division. “This segment has huge global potential.”
 
With power tools, accessories, garden tools, and measuring technology, the Bosch Power Tools division in 2006 had sales of €2.8 billion. Of this total, 90% was generated outside Germany.
 
The Bosch Group overall had …