Apr
25
Chromagen Enters Strategic Agreement With A. O. Smith, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment
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April 14 — A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) and Chromagen entered into a strategic cooperative agreement to develop advanced solar technology for water heating applications.
Under the terms of the agreement, Chromagen will offer A. O. Smith exclusive marketing and distribution rights of its solar collectors for use in residential and commercial solar water heating systems United States and Canada. The two companies also agreed to work cooperatively to design, develop, and market energy-efficient solar products.
“Chromagen, a pioneer in solar water heating, offers a proven solar product line of consistently high quality, extensive technical capabilities, and a global presence in the rapidly expanding renewables market,” Ajita G. Rajendra, president of A. O. Smith Water Products Company, said in making the announcement. ”As A. O. Smith expands its offering of high-efficiency water heating solutions, it is important we team up with the right strategic partners so that together, we can bring the best value to our customers in this rapidly changing market.”
On April 9, A. O. Smith Water Products Company announced one of the largest product launches in its 74-year history, with four new high-efficiency product lines including the Cirrex ™ solar water heating system for residential applications. The company plans to begin shipping Cirrex systems later in the second quarter.
Chromagen has two manufacturing operations in Israel and distributes products in more than 35 countries worldwide. The company provides solar products designed for domestic use as well as complex central systems for commercial applications.
Chromagen solar collectors are certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) in the U.S., International Standard ISO 9806, and a number of other certifications worldwide.
The company was founded in 1962 and also owns Chromagen Spain, a leading supplier of solar water heating systems in that country.
A. O. Smith Corporation, with 2009 sales of $2.0 billion, is a global leader applying innovative technology and energy-efficient solutions to products marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment, offering a comprehensive product line featuring the best-known brands in North America and China. A. O. Smith is also one of the largest manufacturers of electric motors for residential and commercial applications in North America.
Apr
25
Late January 2010, Gazit Industries Ltd, a Tene II portfolio company, consummated its control investment in Poligal Ltd. According to Ran Ben-Or, Managing Partner at Tene Investment Funds, “this is a significant and positive move for the two companies as there is a multi level synergy in the companies’ operations.”
Gazit Industries specializes in the production of rigid plastic sheets used in the construction sector as well as plastic packaging for the food industry. With Europe as the major market. Gazit’s production facilities are spread across Israel as well as in Eastern Europe.
Poligal Ltd. (www.polygal.com) is a manufacturer of poly carbonate multi-wall sheets. Poligal benefits from strong management and its major markets include West and East Europe, Russia, South America and the United States. In addition, the company has four subsidiaries across the globe. Poligal is a valuable addition to Gazit Industries’ group of companies with high potential synergy to both companies’ productions and marketing activities.
Consistent with Tene’s strategy to add significant value to its portfolio companies, Ran Ben-Or and Eyal Attia led the acquisition on Gazit’s behalf. According to Eyal Attia, a Partner at Tene Investment Funds, “Poligal acquisition is consistent with Gazit’s long term strategic plan outlined by Tene in conjunction with Gazit management.”
Oct
30
Netafim has signed an agreement for irrigation, development and training of farmers in Mexico.
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According to the agreement, Netafim will assist in the funding, development and irrigation of agricultural regions throughout the state of Jalisco, spanning an estimated area of 46,000 hectares. Netafim is expected to supply thousands of advanced irrigation systems to these areas, including fields where sugar cane will be grown for bio-diesel or sugar extraction. Additional crops to be irrigated are avocado and corn. This agreement also includes the participation of Netafim’s experts in farmer training.
The value of the overall program is estimated at $4 million (50 million pesos).
The activities in Mexico will be conducted through the company’s local subsidiary and by irrigation experts of the daughter company, “Netafim Mexico”, in close cooperation with a group of irrigation experts, farmers and professionals from Israel. Eli Ben Simon, CEO Netafim Latin America, who signed the agreement on behalf of Netafim, said that, “Mexico is one of the leading growers and exporters of agricultural crops to North America and is considered one of Netafim’s main growth engines. We are proud to be a part of the implementation momentum of irrigation technology in the state of Jalisco, whose rate of progress in this sector is very impressive.”
One of Netafim’s 13 global manufacturing sites is located in Mexico. This site was established two years ago in the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas and employs 30 workers.
Eli Shohet, Co-CEO at Netafim: “The global crisis has made it necessary for Netafim to continue supporting farmers around the world with the most advanced technologies and knowledge, enabling them to achieve higher yields and better quality crops, while using fewer resources – less water, less fertilizers and less energy.”
Jul
20
New Leadership at Hanita Coatings
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Hanita Coatings, a leading converter of polyester films, recently announced the appointment of Oved Shapira as Managing Director, replacing Sason Fluxman, who is now CEO of automotive parts manufacturer Fishman Ltd.
Oved Shapira, 41, gained rich managerial experience during 7 years at Frutarom, one of the leading global companies in the field of flavors and specialty ingredients. After a series of rapid promotions in sales and marketing, he eventually headed the F&F Ingredients Business Unit. In this role, he was responsible for the reorganization of the $90m division, developing a synergy between the varied technologies, marketing infrastructure and R&D that lead to expansive growth. Oved will bring the skill-set gained to Hanita Coatings, a company also blessed with a unique range of divergent technologies, a prolific R&D department and a diverse global marketing framework.
“Hanita Coatings under Sason Fluxman’s management has shown an impressive increase in both turnover and capacity,” comments Oved. “But it was Hanita’s future growth potential, and the challenge offered in fulfilling it that most attracted me to the company. One of my first priorities will be to increase marketing efforts in those areas where Hanita can best offer its customers cost and performance advantages. This will be the key to leading the company on to its next phase of expansion and development.”
Oved Shapira will be taking over managerial responsibility of Hanita Coatings from the 19th of July, 2009. From that date onward, he can be contacted through +972 4 985 9919, and via oved@hanitacoatings.com.
About Hanita Coatings RCA Ltd: Hanita Coatings is an Israeli coating, metallizing and laminating company specializing in the manufacture of window films for solar control and glass security; topcoated polyester films for label face stock; digital print media; high performance barrier packaging, and antennas for RFID tags.
Apr
1
Teldor and Massada Stand the Test of Time
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Originally designed and installed over 3 years ago, the ADSS (All Dielectric Self-Supporting) fiberoptic cable connecting the below-sea-level lower portion of the Massada site to the upper portion has an un-supported span of 910 meters. Equipped with unique installation features such as shock reducers and anti-creep mechanisms, the cable, which provides connectivity with both the Cellcom national (Israeli) grid and the Dead-sea historic site’s internal communications traffic has been re-qualified for continuous service by a team of Cellcom-Teldor engineers.
Aug
1
Blue I Takes Gold at Beijing Olympics
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Blue I’s advanced water technology wins exclusive Beijing 2008 Olympic pools contract. All Olympic pools’ water quality will be monitored by Blue I’s controllers.
Blue I Water Technologies, a global leader in advanced water quality control systems, has been selected by Chinese officials to monitor the water quality in the competition’s pools. Blue I has been chosen as the surveyor, controller & supplier- for all six swimming pools at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, replacing two internationally recognized players in the water quality analysis industry.
The decision to take on Blue I for this important project came following a rigorous testing process, beginning just a year after Blue I opened its offices in China. The Olympic pools were already being constructed, a leading German company had won the tender to supply the water quality monitoring systems for 4 of the parameters along with an American company responsible for the monitoring and supervision of two additional parameters. The Chinese Olympic Committee were unsatisfied with the results provided by these suppliers and turned to Blue I, five months ago, to provide a comprehensive solution.
A two month evaluation process followed, and was supervised by a variety of Chinese organizations, including the Chinese Ministry of Health, which intends to develop a program of high level standardization in the water industry in China. The Blue I product selected to monitor the Olympic pools is HydroGuard, a multi-sensor system, which measures several chemical parameters of water quality, all in one device, at one time.
Blue I has recently seen an increase in sales with over 70% growth in the first half of 2008 in comparison to the previous year. Sales in the Chinese market have grown to six times their previous numbers. The decision to adopt Blue I’s systems in the Olympic pools opens the door to China for Blue I’s advanced technologies.