Graco finalises Liquid Control purchase

By David Reed, UT EditorNorth Canton, Ohio—Graco Inc. has finalised its purchase of the stock of Liquid Control Corp. and affiliated company Profill Corp., of North Canton, Ohio, effective 1 Jan, according to a 13 Jan announcement from the firm. The acquisition includes Liquid Corp. subsidiaries Decker Industries, Inc. of Palm City, Florida, and Liquid Control Ltd of Wellingborough, UK, which will become parts of a new wholly owned subsidiary of Graco, to be led by Kenneth Jacobs, a 25-year veteran of Liquid Control, as president. Jacobs has held various positions with Liquid Control including vice president of sales, executive vice president, and president and COO; he is also a former minority owner of the 30-year-old firm. The new unit, covering the design and manufacture of highly engineered precision resin dispensing equipment, will continue to use the Liquid Control name and brands out of each of the existing manufacturing facilities, the statement said."We are excited about this opportunity to expand our presence in the sealants and adhesives equipment market," said Graco’s president and CEO David Roberts, in the prepared statement. "Liquid Control is well recognised for its plural-component resin dispensing solutions covering an array of applications including general assembly, electronic assembly, fabrication, composite manufacturing and polyurethane moulding."We see a good fit between our two companies and are excited about the prospects for future revenue and earnings growth," Roberts added.The move is "very positive," according to Liquid Control chairman and CEO William Schiltz. "Graco is in an expansion mode and has the ability to take Liquid Control into global markets that were out of our reach. It’s an opportunity for Liquid Control to grow," he said.Founded in 1975, Liquid Control has established a strong quality brand reputation in its markets, the Graco statement claimed. The company has about 150 employees including an experienced management team that will be staying with the business, it added. Minneapolis-based Graco, founded in 1926, has about 1700 employees serving customers around the world in the manufacturing, processing, construction and maintenance industries. The firm supplies technology and expertise for the management of fluids in both industrial and commercial applications. It designs, manufactures and markets systems and equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray fluid materials. In addition to its Minneapolis campus, Graco operates facilities in Rogers, Minnesota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Maasmechelen, Belgium, Yokohama City, Japan, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, and Gwanggi-Do, Korea."