Spectris plc, an instrumentation and control company and parent of Red Lion Controls, announced Oct. 6 that it acquired Sixnet for $72 million, soon after closing a $475 million purchase of Omega Engineering. Sixnet manufactures flexible industrial Ethernet switches, automation, and wireless solutions, and employs about 110 people.

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Spectris plc, an instrumentation and control company and parent of Red Lion Controls, announced on Oct. 6 that it acquired Sixnet LLC, a privately-held company based in Albany, NY, for $72 million. Sixnet manufactures flexible industrial Ethernet switches, automation, and wireless solutions, and employs about 110 people. Spectris, which completed acquisition of Omega Engineering on Oct. 3 for $475 million, also owns Beta LaserMike, HBM, Malvern Instruments, Microscan,  and Servomex, among other companies.

Sixnet joins Red Lion in the Industrial Controls segment of Spectris plc and will be led by Red Lion’s president, Mike Granby.

Red Lion provides operator interface products for a wide range of manufacturing and process industries. Sixnet’s hardened Ethernet networking switches complement those of Red Lion’s N-Tron division and the remote automation solutions complement Red Lion’s own product range, according to Spectris. Sixnet’s cellular wireless portfolio for the machine-to-machine market provides a new area of business for Red Lion. Most Sixnet’s sales are to the U.S. domestic market, and good opportunities exist to expand overseas sales using Red Lion’s international distribution channels, particularly in China.
“The acquisition of Sixnet will enable Red Lion to provide a broader range of solutions to our customers, and expand both our global presence and our strategic business segments,” said Granby.

Sixnet, with 35 years of experience in the industrial space, is "very synergistic and will expand channel and product opportunities worldwide,” said Hilton Nicholson, president and CEO of Sixnet. “As part of Spectris, Sixnet gains access to an industry leader that will support continued sales momentum and global expansion. The acquisition also provides an ideal platform to launch our new cellular automation and Ethernet products.”

Red Lion Controls, manufacturer of a range of control devices, got its start in a garage in 1972, and has three offices across the world as part of Spectris plc. Red Lion Controls, based in York, Pennsylvania, has sales offices in Europe and Asia.

Sixnet provides machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity to enable organizations to cost-effectively increase business productivity while reducing costs. It is based in Ballston Lake, NY.

- Edited by Mark T. Hoske, CFE Media, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com.

http://www.spectris.com/businesslist.aspx

www.spectris.com
www.redlion.net
www.sixnet.com

See the Industrial Network Channel.

http://www.controleng.com/new-products/industrial-networks.html

See more about Industrial Wireless at www.controleng.com/wireless.