It's just business: Manufacturing moves from Caracol, Nidec, Impact Confections, and more

While our last digest of business news focused exclusively on acquisitions, manufacturers are also always looking to get ahead in other ways, including opening rounds of fundraising, forming new partnerships with strategic allies, and investing more money and expanding their existing operations. For a roundup of five recent manufacturing moves employed by manufacturers large and small, read on.

Acquisition: Excelitas reached an agreement to acquire Luxium Solutions for an undisclosed amount October 14. The deal gives Excelita, a photonics and avionics manufacturer, access to Luxium’s materials, substrates and components business. In a company statement, Excelitas CEO Roy Keating noted that Luxium advances his company’s capabilities in optics, and aligns with company strategy to “increase our presence in targeted high-growth end markets.”

Fundraising: Caracol announced October 14 it had raised $4 billion in venture capital to expand internationally, including into the Asian/Pacific region. In a company release, the company said it will focus on software and automation while ramping up its additive metal manufacturing and polymer brands. In a statement, Francesco De Stefano, Caracol CEO, said the new round of funding “represents a generational step” for the company. “This round validates our vision and the outstanding execution of our team,” he said.

Expansion: Nidec announced September 24 it would invest $19 million into its Mena, Arkansas motor manufacturing site in a 61,000-square-foot expansion the company estimates will make 35 new jobs over five years. The Mena factory is currently 347,000 square feet and employs 400 people to build large vertical and horizontal motors for moving liquids for the fossil fuel and water/wastewater industries. In a company statement, Nidec VP of Operations for the Americas Claudemir dos Santos said the new expansion would let Nidec expand manufacturing and on-site test labs.

Partnership: Brightly Software, a Siemens company, announced October 14 it would partner with XOi, a software company that collects data on manufacturing assets. According to a joint release, the partnership will see Brightly integrate XOi’s data collection system into its Computerized Maintenance Management System. In a statement, Don Kurelich noted that gathering quality asset data is foundational for smart manufacturing. “Our partnership with XOi is an important step forward to deliver real-time visibility into critical systems,” Kurelich said.

Expansion: Impact Confections, LLC, recently spent $12.4 million to expand its Janesville, Wisconsin factory. According to reporting from Food Manufacturing, the expansion will improve plant efficiency and upgrade equipment for making, among other confections, Warheads-brand sour candies. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, in a statement, said the expansion will also decrease downtime and set new standards in the state for manufacturing automation. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation will help fund the investment with $215,000 in tax credits.