Johnson Controls plans to purchase $1 billion in goods and services from diverse suppliers, including companies owned by minorities and women, by 2003. Senior officials at the company outlined their new procurement targets and strategies at a Diversity Business Summit that was held in the Detroit area in late June.

Pentacon recently signed inventory management agreements with Autair, Ltd., a company providing aviation support and associated activities, and Honeywell Aerospace Electronics Systems, a provider of avionics and cockpit equipment.

The Covisint automotive exchange selected webMethods, Inc. to provide its integration framework. Covisint will use the webMethods integration platform to automate the exchange's internal business processes such as product development, procurement and supply chain management.

Motion Industries announced the certification of 20 Fluid Power Specialists, bringing the company's total to 120. To attain Fluid Power Specialist certification, specialists must master use of formulas to calculate flows, pressures, cylinder and line sizes, accumulator sizing and precharges, electrical circuitry, troubleshooting and more.

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Allied Capital Corp. agreed to acquire SunSource, Inc. ... Watts Industries, Inc. announced the acquisition of Premier Manufactured Systems, Inc. ... Atlantic Fasteners bought Fasteners Inc. ... Siemens acquired Mannesmann Dematic and its subsidiary Rapistan Systems, and formed a new company, Siemens Dematic ... Mitsubishi Materials Corp, MMC Kobeco Tool Co. Ltd. and M.A. Ford Mfg. Co., Inc. announced the establishment of a joint venture company ... M & H Rubber & Supplyand Essex Caster & Equipment Co. merged to form the Essex Caster & Rubber Co. ... Setko Fasteners, Inc. became an independent division of Brighton Best Socket Screw Mfg. Inc.

Motion Industries was awarded Warner Electric's Distributor of the Year and Bethlehem Steel Corp.'s 2000 Premium Supplier Award ... Supply chain execution software supplier, Catalyst International, Inc. received the Institute of Transport Management Award of Excellence Accreditation 2001 — WMS ... Flint & Walling presented District Sales Manager Kenneth Garner with the Salesman of the Year award and recognized Oscar Russell of ORCO Sales as Manufacturer's Representative of the Year.

Send Update information to associate editor Richard Trombly, 275 Washington St., Newton, Mass., 02458; call (617) 558-4289; fax to (617) 558-4327; or e-mail rtrombly@cahners.com.

The Safety equipment industry held its first "Safety Week" convention July 21-24^th at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center. The event was sponsored by the Canadian Glove Manufacturers Assn., the International Hand Protection Assn., the National Industrial Glove Distributors Assn., the Safety Equipment Distributors Assn., and the Safety Equipment Manufacturers Agents Assn. Nearly 300 people attended. "It makes sense to have one major event like this rather than have five different meetings," one distributor said.

Cooper Industries, Inc. gave $10,000 grants to 21 colleges as part of the company's Project Pace Education Awards to support vocational education. Since the program's creation in 1989, Cooper has donated $2.7 million to vocational high school programs and community colleges in the U.S. and Mexico.

Kennametal Inc. initiated a carbon sequestration project to reduce global warming. The basis of the program is an effort to plant trees and other plants which return carbon to the soil, replacing carbon that the company releases into the atmosphere.