Who says online auctions must be dull? Not FreeMarkets, a digital B2B marketplace that recently staged a once-in-a lifetime event in its hometown, Pittsburgh.

The company conducted auctions for the assets of Three Rivers Stadium, formerly home of the Steelers and Pirates, generating $1.5 million for Pittsburgh's stadium authority.

During the one event, more than 6,000 people bid onsite for items such as home plate from the bullpen ($3,100); game-used bases ($1,550); first 200 pieces of turf ($200 each); a trash can from the Pirates locker room ($175); a framed Roberto Clemente photo ($1,300); and a foul pole net ($650). An earlier online auction was held for "big ticket" items at the stadium.

Through January FreeMarkets claimed to have saved customers nearly $2 billion while executing more than 6,800 auctions.

Emerson Electric Co. formed a new division, the Commercial Industrial Motor Group, which combines Emerson's Specialty and Air Moving divisions with U.S. Electrical Motors ... Carboloy entered a global agreement with SofTech to use its programming software to demonstrate and market Carboloy's carbide cutting tools ... Wet blasting specialist USF Abrasive Developments opened five regional centers in Charlotte, N.C., Fortville, Ind., Rancho Domingo and San Lorenzo, Calif., and Kent, Wash. ...The Durham Manufacturing Co., which manufactures small parts storage products, opened new warehouses in Dallas, Carson, Calif. and Fife, Wash. ...The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Nylok Fastener Corp. trademark registration of the color BLUE® for its nylon self-locking elements applied to internal or external threaded fasteners ... Armstrong's Supply Co. of New Orleans, La., joined IMARK Group, a marketing group of about 190 independent electrical distributors ... Goodyear streamlined fabric production for its conveyor belts, hose and air springs at its engineered products facility in Cartersville, Ga. ... Avon Bearings Corp. is expanding its Avon, Ohio plant to produce extra large diameter turntable bearings and slewing rings, and expects a production cell to open by late summer ...

Lawson Products acquired part of Premier Farnell's North American Industrial Products and Kent Automotive Divisions ... Deacon Industrial Supply of King of Prussia, Pa., acquired the industrial sales division of Herman Goldner Co. ... Clark Material Handling Co. sold its Blue Giant unit for $11 million to TBM Holdings, Inc. ... DeWalt Industrial Tools and Accessories bought the Emglo air compressor company from Stonewood Capital Management, Inc. ... FCX Performance, Inc. acquired J.H. Instrument Co. of Charlotte, N.C., a distributor of valves, process control instrument and flow control equipment that operates in the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia ... Angel Equipment Sales, of Aurora, Colo., was acquired by USF Surface Preparation Group ... National Distributions Centers, one of the country's largest warehousing corporations, acquired the manufacturing support and dedicated operations division of Burnham, an Atlanta-based third party logistics provider ...

Future Metals, Inc., of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., a distributor of aircraft grade tubing, rolled-form shapes and other raw materials for aerospace customers, received Lockheed Martin's prestigious STAR Supplier award ... Peel Industrial Supplies of Brampton, Ontario, received the Brampton Outstanding Business Achievement Award from the city's economic development office ... Dana Corp.'s Spicer Driveshaft Division in Toledo, Ohio, was recognized with a 2000 Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award by the White House and U.S. Department of Commerce ... the Web Marketing Assn. gave its Standard of Excellence WebAward to bestroute.com LLC., an online distributor of electrical and hard-to-find trade parts ...