National Gypsum Company announced it will reopen its idled Wilmington, NC, plant with a $25 million investment over five years to upgrade machinery and install new equipment. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2018.

CleanSpark signed a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all assets and operations of Pioneer Custom Electrical Products, a designer and manufacturer of custom electrical equipment, from Pioneer Power Solutions. Closing is anticipated by June 30, 2018.

Caldwell Lifting Solutions and the RUD Group have combined their sales and service activities for lifting and material handling solutions in the USA and Canada. The partnership was announced on May 8, 2018.

Cohu announced a definitive merger agreement to acquire Xcerra for approximately $796 million in equity value, combining to create a global leader in semiconductor test equipment. The deal was announced on May 8, 2018.

Hawk Ridge Systems acquired Cimtronics Midwest, a reseller of manufacturing software tools.

Amada North America will invest $87 million in a new facility in High Point, North Carolina, to manufacture press brake bending equipment, creating 201 jobs over five years.

Rotating Machinery Services, a portfolio company of Incline Equity Partners, acquired AC Compressor and CONMEC Engineered Compressors from Baker Hughes, a GE company. The aftermarket turbomachinery services firm gains replacement parts and OEM-style capabilities; the announcement was dated 8 May 2018.

Australia-based Reece Group has agreed to acquire MORSCO, a Fort Worth, TX-based distributor of plumbing, waterworks and HVAC supplies. No financial terms were disclosed.

Global Water Technology, Inc. moved from Orland Park, IL to a new state-of-the-art facility at 354 West Armory Drive, South Holland, IL. The headquarters includes a conference and training center, R&D laboratory, and fulfillment center.

Russelectric was awarded a contract to supply Charlotte Water with paralleling switchgear for water and wastewater treatment facilities in Charlotte, NC. Delivery for the initial system is scheduled for late 2018, with the second for early 2019.

Fibrotex USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Fibrotex Technologies Ltd., was awarded a 10-year, $480M contract by the US Army Natick Soldier System Center for the development, testing and manufacture of the next-generation Ultra-Lightweight Camouflage Net System (ULCANS). The contract will be administered in two phases with a final down select by FY 2019.

Enervise has leased 12,754 sq. ft of space in Blue Ash, Ohio for its new headquarters and Cincinnati Service Center. The company is making a capital investment in building space, tools and fleet to accommodate future growth.

Lockheed Martin received an $828 million not-to-exceed contract from the U.S. Army for Lot 13 production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets and associated equipment. Work will be performed in Dallas and Camden, Arkansas.

MPW broke ground on April 5, 2018 for a 30,000-square-foot industrial water regeneration plant in Yuma, Arizona. The facility is scheduled to be operational by the second quarter of 2019.

Halton Co. will build a 55,000-square-foot $6.66 million second facility in Scottsville, Allen County, Kentucky, to house its Halton Air Moving division making emission control devices and air handling units.

Rengo subsidiary Triwall Corporation acquired an 80% stake in Aldez Containers, a heavy-duty corrugated packaging manufacturer headquartered in Almont, Michigan with plants in Texas, Ohio and Kentucky.

Petoskey Plastics will invest $29.6 million to add 30,000 square feet to its Morristown, Tennessee polyethylene film facility in Hamblen County, creating about 70 jobs over five years.

Aero Fluid Products will add 30,000 square feet to its facility at 313 Gillett Street in Painesville, Ohio, creating 40 full-time jobs and investing an estimated $3 million to $4 million; the lower figure is shown.

SMC is investing an estimated USD 67.8 million in a new warehouse adjacent to its North American headquarters in Noblesville, Indiana, increasing warehouse space by 30% and production capacity and adding 92 jobs over five years.

Smalticeram USA, Inc., a ceramic and tile ink, glaze and pigment producer and distributor, will locate new operations in Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, investing $4 million and creating 26 new jobs.

RGR Medical Products signed a one-year exclusive contract to distribute NeuroZen Rehabilitation Technologies' diabetic pain management products, with a two-year renewable option.

Newell Brands signed a definitive agreement to sell its Waddington Group packaging business, based in Covington, Kentucky, to Novolex Holdings, backed by The Carlyle Group, for gross proceeds of about $2.3 billion. The deal is expected to close within about 60 days.

Pettit Machinery and Ag-Power Texas have merged with United Ag & Turf, effective May 3, 2018, creating a dealership group with 29 locations in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

TricorBraun has partnered with Bona on a packaging redesign of the latter's hard floor cleaning products, featuring an anti-glug design and redesigned bottle handle.

LongueVue Capital has invested in Pod Pack International to support the continued expansion of the latter. Pod Pack is a manufacturer of single-serve coffee, tea, and other beverage product solutions.

Contura Energy has agreed to merge with Alpha Natural Resources Holdings, creating the largest metallurgical coal production company in the US. Contura will hold approximately 53.5% of the merged entity.

Pyradia was awarded a contract for a Modular Pilot Coating Line for Bemis Associates, a manufacturer of thermoplastic adhesives, films, and coatings.

Source Capital, a private equity firm, has acquired M&M Refrigeration, a provider of industrial refrigeration equipment and control systems. Terms were not disclosed.

Integer Holdings Corporation agreed to sell its Advanced Surgical and Orthopedics product lines to Viant LLC for $600 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2018.

Maroon Group was appointed exclusive distributor of Elementis Specialties' functional additives in the eastern US territory, effective July 1, 2018.

GE Appliances announced a $9.3 million expansion of its Monogram Refrigeration facility in Selmer, Tennessee, adding two new production lines and 210 jobs, doubling employment to about 400.

Gränges will invest $26 million to expand its Newport, Arkansas aluminum rolling operations for light-gauge foil used in food packaging. The expansion will create 100 full-time jobs over two years.

Source Refrigeration Holdings (DBA CoolSys), a portfolio company of Audax Private Equity, has acquired Energy Squared, a consulting engineering firm providing MEPR engineering analysis and design.

Kraft Heinz completed a new 382,157 sq. foot greenfield facility in Davenport, Iowa, producing Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh and Lunchables lines, with automation engineered by Quantum Solutions.

Beacon Roofing Supply has acquired Tri-State Builder's Supply, a wholesale supplier of roofing, siding, windows, doors and related building products in Duluth, Minnesota, serving Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

Performance Fabrics (dba HexArmor) will expand to a new location at 640 Leffingwell Ave NE in Grand Rapids, creating 50 new jobs and investing $8.7 million. The company will renovate a 52,000 sq ft building and take occupancy in early 2019.

Green Line Polymers, a subsidiary of Advanced Drainage Systems, will receive a $200,000 Ohio EPA grant and invest a total of $768,308 to purchase a new recycling system that will increase drainage pipe production from recycled HDPE by 660,000 pounds in the first year and 6.2 million pounds by the fourth year, creating 14 new jobs.

Lonza will invest $46 million to expand its Greenwood County, South Carolina operations, adding 50,000 square feet of manufacturing space and creating 30 new jobs. Construction is expected to be completed in Q2 2019.

CVC Capital Partners Fund VI has signed a definitive agreement to acquire The Alpha Corporation, the holding company of AOC, LLC, a global producer of composite formulations. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.

Spirit AeroSystems has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Asco Industries, a Belgian aerospace structures supplier, for $650 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2018.

Conveyor system builder Material Handling Systems announced plans to expand its facility in Mount Washington, Kentucky, doubling its operational footprint. The $20 million expansion is expected to create up to 300 jobs and be completed within a year.

Innovative Automation acquired Livernois Engineering in May 2018, combining three heat exchange companies (Innovative Automation, Livernois Engineering, and Tridan International) under one ownership group.

Mitsubishi Electric and Trane (Ingersoll Rand) formed a joint venture, Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US LLC (METUS), in May 2018. The venture appointed Atsuhiro Yabu as CEO, Mark Kuntz as COO, and Andrew Kelso as CFO.

Effective May 1, 2018, GMZ and Ribelin, part of the Azelis CASE market segment, expanded their relationship with BASF Industrial Solutions to offer the complete portfolio of BASF Industrial Solutions lines across all regions of the U.S.

Acuity Brands acquired IOTA Engineering, a Tucson, Arizona-based manufacturer of emergency lighting products and power equipment for commercial and institutional applications. The acquisition complements Acuity's existing emergency product line.

ENGIE North America acquired Unity International Group, an electrical construction and maintenance provider headquartered in Flushing, New York, with 770 employees. The acquisition expands ENGIE's electrical construction, maintenance, and IT services in the U.S.

Phillips-Medisize, a Molex company, completed a significant expansion of its New Richmond, Wisconsin medical facility, adding nearly 70,000 sq. ft. of space for drug handling capabilities. The expansion supports automation, robotics, and high-tech manufacturing for diagnostics, drug delivery, and medical devices, and is expected to create over 100 jobs.

AB Specialty Silicones completed a significant plant expansion at its Waukegan, Illinois facility, adding a new reactor that increases annual specialty fluid production capabilities and tripling storage for raw materials and finished products.

Key Tronic Corporation announced it has begun manufacturing Wi-Fi video doorbell products and accessories for SkyBell Technologies, Inc. The contract is expected to represent 10% or more of Key Tronic's total revenue once fully ramped.

U.S. LBM Holdings acquired Myrtle Beach Building Supply, a distributor of specialty building materials with two locations in South Carolina, to strengthen its presence in the Southeast construction market.