Source: Besser Company, Alpena, Mich.
Product machinery and plant services giant Besser has closed on a deal for Grubb AMC of Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. The mid-April acquisition includes future product development projects and the Stone Aging Machine (SAM), Section Feeding Box for Drum Tumblers, and Tumbler product lines; all were part of a marketing and manufacturing agreement the two companies signed in 2005. Terms of the deal call for company founder Wallace Grubb to be a product development consultant to Besser.

“This acquisition is part of our focus on customer satisfaction and enhancing the product lines we provide to the hardscape industry. We are fully committed to helping producers better compete in today's marketplace by providing equipment and services that offer cost-effective production of value-added products,” says Besser President and CEO Kevin Curtis.

Since 2005, the SAM has gained traction with producers around the world, as it operates in-line and can pace the output of the highest-capacity machines. Paving stones are given an antiqued appearance cost effectively, Besser officials note, since the SAM eliminates the manual labor and product breakage associated with traditional tumbling. Antiquing is random and adjustable so that stones' appearance meets individual market preferences.