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Nidec buys Florida motor controls manufacturer

02 September, 2015

The Japanese motor manufacturer Nidec has acquired the privately-owned US motor controls producer KB Electronics, for an undisclosed sum.

KB offers controls for AC and DC motors from fractional to 5hp (3.7kW), mainly for industrial automation, HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning), pumps and materials-handling systems. It produces more than 200 types of off-the-shelf controls.

KB, which was founded in 1967, was originally based in New York, but in 1995 relocated to a new manufacturing site in Coral Springs, Florida. It employs 195 people and in the year to September 2014 had sales worth $23m.

“The addition of KB drives and controls to the Nidec product portfolio expands our ability to provide packaged solutions to customers who want to pair a simple AC-input, variable-speed control with a motor,” says Nidec president and CEO, Kei Pang. “KB's people and products do an excellent job of delivering what their customers really want: quality, customisation, and simple-to-use products. With this acquisition, we have the ability to provide a variable speed solution for every motor we offer.”

In recent years, Nidec has been expanding in the automotive, appliance, commercial and industrial markets, partly through acquisitions. In 2010, it bought Emerson's motors and controls division and has positioned the business, now known as Nidec Motor Corporation, as a centre of excellence for appliance, commercial and industrial motors and systems.

KB's portfolio includes a range of AC inverters



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