Hot Off the Press

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Advanced-Machining/Laser-Processing Companies Unite

LAI International, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ, a manufacturer of precision components and subassemblies, has acquired Rich Technology International, a precision contract manufacturer located in Scarborough, ME. LAI supplies customers in the aerospace, armor, automotive, defense, electronics and medical-device industries. Among its services: five-axis laser machining, waterjet cutting and sheetmetal fabrication. Rich, which employs 130, specializes in high-speed CNC machining, five-axis laser processing and EDM. It’s known for producing turbine blades and nozzles for power-generation plants. The LAI/Rich combined company employs 240 and projects 2007 revenues in excess of $46 million. Learn more at www.laico.com.

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Advanced-Machining/Laser-Processing Companies Unite

LAI International, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ, a manufacturer of precision components and subassemblies, has acquired Rich Technology International, a precision contract manufacturer located in Scarborough, ME. LAI supplies customers in the aerospace, armor, automotive, defense, electronics and medical-device industries. Among its services: five-axis laser machining, waterjet cutting and sheetmetal fabrication. Rich, which employs 130, specializes in high-speed CNC machining, five-axis laser processing and EDM. It’s known for producing turbine blades and nozzles for power-generation plants. The LAI/Rich combined company employs 240 and projects 2007 revenues in excess of $46 million. Learn more at www.laico.com.

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Advice for ERP-Software Shoppers

Plexus Systems, Traverse City, MI, offers a complimentary copy of its white paper, Ten Critical Questions to Ask a Manufacturing ERP Vendor, on its website--follow the link www.plex.com/download/TenQuestions.asp. The paper helps readers analyze potential software packages and decide what fits best into their business model and manufacturing requirements. Among the areas addressed: software usability, fit, and cost of ownership.

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