GWS Tool Group announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Balax Inc. This is the second acquisition in 2022 for GWS, as it continues its acquisition strategy as a subsidiary company of Walter AG.
"This is also the second add-on acquisition by GWS since joining Walter and the Sandvik family of companies in December 2021, and signals an intent to continue with an aggressive M&A plan that has made GWS so successful in its growth ambitions in recent years," said a spokesperson. "The continued expansion of GWS by way of acquisitions and constant investment in world-class technology, equipment and, most importantly, people, has created a compelling value proposition for customers operating in advanced machining environments, especially in the areas of custom round and insert tooling."
Located in North Lake, Wisconsin, Balax has been manufacturing high quality taps for the last 65 years. Founded in 1958, Balax is responsible for pioneering modern cold forming taps with Lead Form Geometry Correction, reducing tapping torque. Over the years, the company has expanded to over 45,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space, controlling all aspects of manufacturing in-house, including blank preparation, heat treatment, surface treatments and automated CNC grinding operations. Product offerings include Thredfloer and Thredshaver taps, as well as premium gauges.
"Balax is a premium tap brand with global recognition as a leader in cold forming technology," said Rick McIntyre, CEO of GWS. "The quality of their products combined with their production capability to produce world-class taps for high-volume customers complements our existing short-run custom tap platform perfectly."
"I am thrilled to have Balax join GWS Tool Group," said Thomas Mclure, co-owner of Balax Inc. "The premium taps we bring to market, driven by decades of quality and innovation, will only be bolstered via that of GWS. Aligning ourselves with a company that is so strongly committed to growth and American manufacturing is undoubtedly in the best interests of our customers and our invaluable employees."
For more information contact:
GWS Tool Group
595 County Road 448
Tavares, FL 32778
877-497-8665
sales@gwstoolgroup.com
www.gwstoolgroup.com
Balax Inc.
W305N7697 County Road E
Harland, WI 53029
262-966-2355
balax@balax.com
www.balax.com