Emerson Strikes Again!

EMERSON ACQUIRES SOLARTRON MOBREY Solartron Mobrey -- whose measurement technologies include level, density, viscosity and flow computer products -- will be renamed Mobrey Measurement and become part of Emerson Process Management. Complementing Emerson's established measurement brands, which include Rosemount, Micro Motion, Brooks, Saab Rosemount and Daniel, the acquisition includes all Solartron Mobrey technologies, services, manufacturing facilities and employees. "We are excited about the addition of Mobrey's measurement technologies, services and application expertise to the Emerson family," said John Berra, president, Emerson Process Management. "This key acquisition extends Emerson's portfolio and leadership in process measurement products and services, enabling us to offer an even broader range of value, performance and reliability." Berra further noted that Solartron Mobrey's management culture was a great fit for Emerson. "The Solartron Mobrey management team demonstrates excellent leadership, dedication to quality and strong company performance"¦qualities that fit the Emerson culture exceedingly well," said Berra. Solartron Mobrey measurement products provide continuous and point monitoring for process industries worldwide, including applications in oil and gas production and refining, chemical and petrochemical, water and waste treatment, food and beverage, and power and steam generation. Headquartered outside of London, the Solartron Mobrey business has manufacturing in the United Kingdom and France with sales and support in Europe, Asia and the Americas. "This is excellent news for our company and our customers," said Joe Willson, Managing Director of Solartron Mobrey. "Being part of such a successful global player will allow us to provide a broader range of solutions, enable us to grow our business faster, and contribute to the success of the other Emerson businesses." So what does this mean for the industry? Well, it positions Emerson really well to compete with Siemens, whose acquisitions of Milltronics and Danfoss Flow Systems in the last few years have given them a leg up in the non-contacting level and flow business. It means that Honeywell's ability to provide a package including low cost sensors has been dealt a blow. Rockwell, too, has been weakened by this, since once again, Emerson now has at least two of everything. Integrating Solartron Mobrey into the Emerson family of transmitters will be an interesting endeavor, however, and will take many product revisions, so I would look for Mobrey Measurement to operate fairly independently for some time. Walt