In one of the larger acquisitions of an automation distributor in recent years, Kaman Corp., Bloomfield, Conn., announced its plans to acquire Zeller Corp., Rochester, N.Y., an automation specialist with 240 people (including 60 degreed engineers) and expected 2012 sales of approximately $80 million.
Zeller is a premier Schneider Electric distributor and also sells products from Kollmorgen, Phoenix Contact, Rittal and Sick. The company has operations in in Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo, New York; Foxboro, Massachusetts; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Kaman has recently acquired three otherdistributors in the electrical automation space -- Minarik Co., Glendale, Calif.; Target Electronic Supply, Westwood, Mass,; and Automation Technology, Salt Lake City, Utah. Gary Haseley, president, Zell Corp., will be staying with the company after the acquisition in completed. Look for more details on this acqusition in the Aug. 24 issue of Electrical Marketing newsletter.