Fenner makes further blast into US with acquisition

FENNER, the world leader in conveyor belt manufacturing, has acquired US company Winfield Industries.

The purchase, through Hull-based Fenner's subsidiary, Fenner Precision, continues the group's recent strategy of buying American companies.

Fenner has acquired gross assets of £2.4m ($4.78m) from Winfield, based in Buffalo, New York. Winfield manufactures polyurethane and silicone-moulded products used in areas as diverse as missiles and film processing.

Mark Abrahams, chief execuitve of of Fenner, said: “Winfield is recognised as a leading supplier of performance-critical rollers for digital imaging applications. Its products are naturally complementary to the existing products of Fenner Precision.

“Together, Winfield and Fenner Precision will offer the office automation market an unrivalled range of technical capability, products and experience.”

Fenner boosted its US operations last month with the acquisition of technical fabrics business Prodesco in a deal worth up to £32m.

The Pennsylvania-based firm develops and manufactures highly specialised technical fabrics used in industrial, aerospace and chemical equipment.

It also owns Secant Medical which produces textile structures for medical devices used to treat cardiovascular and orthopaedic conditions.

Fenner is the world leader in the global conveyor belting market with 3,500 staff. Its products include lightweight and heavyweight conveyor belting for the mining and power generation markets, precision motion control products for the computer, copier and mechanical equipment markets, and sealing products for the mining, hydraulics and oil and gas industries.

In November the group paid £1.3m for the New York privately-owned engineering business B-loc which produces and sells specialist power transmission and motion control components and in December it bought Australian company Spliceline.