AkzoNobel announced the sale of 100% of its Specialty Chemicals business to The Carlyle Group and GIC for an enterprise value of €10.1 billion, expected to close before end of 2018.

Construction Supply Group completed the simultaneous acquisitions of All-Tex Supply, MASONPRO, Inc. and Titan Construction Supply, expanding its presence in Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Nevada.

JMP Solutions, Canada, has acquired Alfacon Solutions, a Canada-based custom material handling solution provider, to form JMP's material handling division. The acquisition adds project execution framework and control system design expertise.

Axel Johnson International's Lifting Solutions business group has acquired AMC s.r.l., a spin-off of Politecnico di Torino that provides advanced non-destructive testing technologies for steel wire ropes. The acquisition adds digital solutions to Lifting Solutions' service offering.

Metso closed the acquisition of UK-based combustion solutions provider Kiln Flame Systems (KFS) to strengthen its pyro processing capabilities. Financial details were not disclosed.

French joinery companies FPEE and Bouvet will merge in January 2019, forming a group with 500,000 units of production and €300 million in annual sales. The merger is subject to competition authority approval.

Peru-based Unacem reported that its general meeting of shareholders will evaluate a merger proposal with Inversiones Andino, Investment and Administration Trade Union, and Inmobilaria Pronto to consolidate assets and improve efficiency.

Clariant and its major shareholder SABIC plan a speciality chemicals joint venture combining Clariant's additives and masterbatch business with SABIC's ULTEM, NORYL and LNP specialities, with Clariant holding the majority stake. Clariant's remaining plastics and coatings business will be divested.

Synalloy Corporation's subsidiary ASTI Acquisition signed a definitive agreement to buy substantially all assets of American Stainless Tubing, with the cash price expected between $27 and $28 million and closing expected by January 1, 2019.

The Middleby Corporation acquired Crown Food Service Equipment, a Toronto-based manufacturer of steam cooking equipment for the commercial foodservice industry. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Franke Foodservice Systems acquired Chain Link Services, a specialty distributor focused on national foodservice and convenience retail chain customers, based in Fort Worth, Texas. The deal deepens Franke's focus on supply chain, logistics and project management services for large customers.

Biotage AB has agreed to acquire PhyNexus, Inc., a California-based company specializing in automated lab-scale purification technology for biomolecules. The acquisition aims to expand Biotage's separation business into new application areas.

Lincoln Electric acquired Inovatech Engineering Corporation, a Canadian manufacturer of advanced robotic plasma cutting solutions for structural steel applications. The transaction details were not disclosed.

CITIC Capital Japan Partners III completed its acquisition of the entire stake in Nippon Oil Pump Co., Ltd. on 4 December 2018. Nippon Oil Pump makes internal gear pumps for machine tools, construction vehicles and other end markets. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Spirax-Sarco Engineering signed a conditional agreement to buy Gestra AG and associated businesses from Flowserve for a cash-free, debt-free consideration of EUR 186 million. Gestra is headquartered in Bremen, Germany and makes boiler control systems, valves and steam control equipment. Completion awaits German merger control approval.

RPC Group announced the acquisition of Nordfolien GmbH for €75 million, adding polythene film production with sites in Germany and Poland to its bpi flexibles business. Completion is subject to German and Polish competition clearance.

Anhui Heli Co., Ltd. agreed to acquire a 66% stake in Ningbo Lida Logistics Equipment Co., Ltd. from Anhui Forklift Group and individual shareholders for CNY 246.64 million, making Ningbo Lida a subsidiary. The deal aims to strengthen Anhui Heli's electric forklift production.

Acuity Polymers, Inc. acquired the full range of Lagado contact lens materials from Menicon America on December 3, 2018. The manufacture of Lagado materials will be moved to Acuity Polymers in Rochester, NY.

Avio-Diepen, a Proponent company, sold all its shares in the Tennessee-based joint venture ADPma LLC to the existing ADPma shareholders.

Kemira has formed NewCo, a joint venture in which it holds 80 percent, with Shandong Tiancheng Wanfeng Chemical Technology in Yanzhou, China, valued at EUR 55 million. NewCo will produce AKD wax and polyaluminum chloride, with production starting in the second half of 2019.

The Competition Commission of India has cleared Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation's acquisition of 51% shareholding in Sanyo Special Steel, and the transfer of 100% shareholding in Ovako AB to Sanyo.

Aperam S.A. has proposed the acquisition of VDM Metals Holding GmbH. The acquisition is in Phase II review by the European Commission, with a decision by April 16, 2019.

Modine Manufacturing Company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Luvata Heat Transfer Solutions (HTS) for approximately $422 million. The transaction is expected to close within calendar year 2016.

Hudson Technologies has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Airgas-Refrigerants, a subsidiary of Airgas, for approximately $220 million. The acquisition is expected to close in 2017.

CoolSys has acquired Certified Refrigeration and Mechanical, Inc. (CRM), a Madison, Wisconsin-based refrigeration services company with ten branch locations across the state. This establishes CoolSys' presence in Wisconsin.

Lennox International signed a binding agreement to sell its Australia and Asia refrigeration businesses to Beijer Ref AB, with the transaction expected to close in Q2 2018. Separately, it is selling its South America business and Sydney real estate.

Emerald Textiles, a portfolio company of Pacific Avenue Capital Partners and Highland Avenue Funds, acquired the assets of Mediclean Linen and Laundry, a healthcare linen service provider in Los Angeles. The acquisition includes a $6 million capital investment to upgrade the facility.

Liberty Hall Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on aerospace and defense, has acquired Aircraft Performance Group, a provider of flight operations software solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Nuvera Fuel Cells, a subsidiary of Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, has signed a definitive agreement to contribute substantially all of its PowerTap hydrogen generator assets to OneH2 in exchange for an approximately 15% ownership interest and a board seat.

Axel Johnson International acquired a majority stake in OCS AB, a global provider of overhead conveyor systems based in Borås, Sweden. The acquisition marks Axel Johnson International's entry into industrial automation and adds SEK 100 million in revenue.

GFG Alliance's Liberty Steel USA signed a binding agreement to purchase all outstanding stock in Keystone Consolidated Industries from Contran Corporation for $320 million in cash less certain assumed liabilities. The deal adds KCI's 1.1mt electric arc furnace in Illinois and downstream operations.

LafargeHolcim Bangladesh Limited (LHBL) announced its board has decided to merge with its wholly owned subsidiary Holcim Cement (Bangladesh) Limited (HBL), with LHBL as the surviving entity. The merger is subject to approvals from creditors, shareholders, and the High Court.

Dometic Group AB acquired Kampa UK Ltd for £58.5 million, consisting of £50 million cash on a cash and debt free basis plus up to £8.5 million earn-out. The acquisition was completed on December 3, 2018.

TCGRx, a portfolio company of Frazier Healthcare Partners, acquired Parata Systems, combining medication adherence packaging and robotic dispensing technologies.

Shape Technologies Group announced the creation of Shape Process Automation, combining Dynamic Robotic Solutions and Tech-Con Automation, to be a leading supplier of waterjet and laser robotic solutions.

Siemens acquired COMSA Computer und Software GmbH, a Munich-based developer of electrical systems design and wire harness engineering software, to strengthen its automotive electrical systems portfolio.

VESCON and Schiller have merged their competencies in a holding company as of December 1, 2018, with Quadriga Capital becoming the majority shareholder.

Ingersoll Rand has made a binding offer to acquire Precision Flow Systems from BC Partners and The Carlyle Group for $1.45 billion. PFS makes fluid management systems and has about 1,000 employees and seven global plants.

Finnish valve and pump maker Flowrox Oy acquired NovaTek AB, a filtration technology company based in Sodertalje, Sweden, to grow in solid/liquid separation.

RPC Group plc ended merger talks with Bain Capital and gave Apollo Global Management more time to make a firm takeover offer for the European plastics packager.

Emerson agreed to purchase the Valves & Controls business of Pentair for $3.15 billion, strengthening its global presence in control, isolation and pressure relief valves and actuation.

Asia Cement Co Ltd announced plans to buy 3.3 million shares of Halla Cement Corporation for 50.0 billion won, increasing its stake to 100%.

Olsson Industrial Electric, part of NAES Corporation, acquired Garrett Electric, an electrical contractor headquartered in Richland, Washington, in December 2018. The acquisition price was not disclosed.

GFG Alliance, through Liberty Steel USA, has completed the acquisition of Keystone Consolidated Industries (KCI) for $320 million from Contran Corporation. The deal creates one of the largest US wire rod producers and aims to grow US GREENSTEEL capacity to 5 million tons per annum by 2020.

Yageo Corporation completed the acquisition of Pulse Electronics Corporation from Oaktree Capital Management for $740 million in December 2018, after regulatory approvals.

Blackstone Group and Temasek Holdings are in talks to buy a 15-20% stake in Wonder Cement for Rs 10 billion. The funds would be used to increase capacity from 6.75 mtpa to 11 mtpa by FY2019.

Newater Technology, Inc. announced it will acquire 100% equity of Israeli AMS Technologies Int. (2012) Ltd for approximately $13.5 million, with closing expected in March 2019.

In December 2018, the Wieland Group acquired a majority share of E. Jordan Brookes, a distributor and service center for engineered materials, expanding its presence on the West Coast of the US.

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Gruppen, has entered into an agreement with the Norwegian Ministry of Defence to acquire Aerospace Industrial Maintenance Norway AS (AIM). KONGSBERG will hold 50.1% ownership, with Patria holding 49.9%.

Indutrade signed an agreement on 6 December 2018 to acquire all shares of NRG Automation Limited, a UK specialist supplier of drives, motors and controls for doors and shutters, with annual sales of approximately GBP 5.0 million.