VANCOUVER, WA (USA) – October 21, 2022 – Rick Goode, Chairman and CEO of Columbia Machine, Inc., announced a signed Purchase Agreement to acquire Wil El Mil Engineering (WEM) Ltd., a leading manufacturer of concrete wet pressing technology. Located in Gloucester, England, Wil El Mil specializes in press machines, molds and handling solutions. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of 2022.
“We have spent the last five years getting to know Columbia and looking for ways to expand our collaboration in various markets. The more our two companies got to know each other, the more we realized there were a number of synergies that could be realized by working together,” said Tim Lodge, Co-Owner of Wil El Mil. “We look forward to expanding Wil El Mil’s capacity and capabilities by leveraging Columbia’s extensive experience in batching and mix solutions, product handing, curing and stacking. The combination of both companies’ capabilities should allow us to offer a more complete solution to current and prospective customers.”
“We are excited to leverage Columbia’s global capabilities to expand our abilities to support Wil El Mil customers around the world,” said Rob White, Co-Owner of Wil El Mil. “We are also excited to leverage our expertise to help Columbia support their growing customer base in the UK market. We are very proud of our capabilities in Gloucester, years of experience, attention to quality and look forward to supporting Columbia in a number of areas.”
“It has been great to get to know Tim, Rob and their company and we look forward to working with the Wil El Mil team. The UK has been an important market for us for over 50 years. It is critical for us to continue to build out our presence in the UK market, expanding our spare parts inventory and local mold capabilities,” said Kevin Brown, Concrete Products President of Columbia Machine, Inc. “We are also excited about the potential we see for Wil El Mil products in a number of the other markets we serve.”
“After many meetings with our two companies in Poland and England, it became clear that both companies had a number of opportunities to work closer together. The Techmatik team is looking forward to working with the Wil El Mil team to offer complete plant solutions, combining Wil El Mil’s world class press machines with Techmatik’s world class mixing and batching, product handling, curing, stacking, cubing and wrapping solutions,” said Mariusz Gil, President of Techmatik SA.”
“Wil El Mil will also strengthen our mold distribution and repair capabilities in the UK market. At Techmatik we pride ourselves as being a market leader in mold production and mold repair. Wil El Mil is a very strategic addition to our capabilities in an important market like the UK.”
“It has been great to get to know Tim, Rob and their company, after hearing common customers over the years talk about the respect they have for Wil El Mil equipment and the quality of products they are able to produce. After meeting at industry trade fairs over the years in India and Germany, we decided it would be good to look for ways to work together,” said Goode. “Wil El Mil fits very nicely in our strategy to grow our portfolio of factory automation and concrete production solutions. I look forward to working with Wil El Mil in the coming years to expand the markets they serve and for them to help us grow our capabilities in the UK market.”
The acquisition of Wil El Mil will continue Columbia’s strategic vision to grow as an industry leading factory automation solutions supplier, specializing in concrete production solutions. Wil El Mil’s operations in Gloucester, England complement Columbia’s European facility in Radom, Poland and position the Columbia Group of Companies to better serve the UK market.
ABOUT Wil El Mil
Wil El Mil (WEM) Engineering Limited is an independent company that has expanded progressively since its establishment in 1974. WEM always puts quality, customer care and value for money foremost. WEM’s technical design and manufacturing capability has established a reputation for providing secure engineering solutions to worldwide concrete precast customers using the wet pressing process. Company highlights and focus includes:
1) Over 30 years of experience in wet press design and manufacture;
2) Continuous improvement and development based on well proven designs;
3) In-house technical capability with qualified engineers;
4) In-house design of all mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical/electronic control including software;
5) In-house manufacture of control panels, PLC systems and inverter drives;
6) In-house CNC machining, fabrication, assembly and testing;
7) Manufacturing is based on integrated CAD/CAM systems;
8) Mechanical design utilizing the latest 3D CAD software;
9) Full product support in all markets;
10) Worldwide customer base;
11) Wil El Mil offer presses up to 6MN in power with the number of moulds ranging from one to six;
12) Both new and re-manufactured machines are supplied; and
13) A full compliment of moulds, mould filling, and product/pallet handling systems are available with controls from fully automatic to manually operated according to customer requirements.
The concrete wet pressing process was established in the 1890’s and developed initially by the hydraulic press manufacturer, Fielding & Platt. The wet press process has since become recognized as the process by which the highest quality concrete paving slabs and kerbs are made. It is the specified process in the UK and the Middle East and is also preferred in other countries. The wet pressing process involves compressing a wet concrete slurry under a hydraulic press in order to remove the excess water. Filters on either side of the concrete ensure only water is extracted resulting in a fully compacted material with a near optimum water/cement ratio. A vacuum system removes the extracted water resulting in a product which can be ejected from the mould and stacked for final curing. Production rates can be up to 12 products per minute.
Pressed products typically manufactured by the wet pressing process comply with the most stringent national & international standards. Due to their superior durability, they are the standard choice for use in harsh environments (e.g. where regular freeze/thaw cycles and exposure to de-icing salts are experienced, and where sulphate attack is an issue). Products include Kerbstones, straight, internal & external radii, corners, tapered, Paving slabs up to 1mtr x 0.6mtr, Plain, textured or tactile surface, Drainage channels, Drainage kerbs, Drainage slabs, Path edgings, Steps, Blocks for split stone walling, Cable covers.
ABOUT COLUMBIA MACHINE
Established in 1937, Columbia Machine is a fourth generation, privately held, worldwide leader in the design, manufacturing, and support of factory automation equipment solutions for a variety of industries, with customers in over 100 countries around the world. Primary business units include Batching and Mixing Solutions, Concrete Products Equipment Solutions, Production Equipment Molds, Bag Filling and Handling Technology, Mechanical Palletizing Machines, Robotic Palletizing Solutions, Conveyor System Solutions, Pallet Load Transfer Solutions, and Manufacturing Services. The Columbia Group of Companies has seven manufacturing facilities on four continents, with over 1,200 team members worldwide, focused on world-class engineered solutions and customer service.
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