ITW to acquire Instron Corp.

Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) today announced that it has signed an agreement with Kirtland Capital Partners to purchase Instron Corp., a supplier of instruments, software, and services for the testing of materials and structures. Terms of the pending transaction were not disclosed.

Based in Norwood, Mass., Instron has manufacturing facilities and technical centers in 13 countries throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. The company's products are grouped in three major categories: material testing; structural testing; and service. In total, the company's revenues are projected to be approximately $240 million in 2005.

Instron was founded in 1946 and was taken private through a sale to Kirtland Capital Partners in 1999. The transaction, which has received U.S. regulatory approval but still requires European regulatory approval, is expected to close by the end of October.