Around the Industry

GE completes acquisition of International Fiber Systems

GE Industrial Systems, a $6 billion unit of the General Electric Co. has completed the acquisition of International Fiber Systems, Inc. (IFS), a provider of advanced, digital fiber-optic transmission products and systems for electronic security and intelligent transportation systems. The Newtown, Conn.-based company is privately held. IFS products are in use along highways, and toll plazas. The company provides products for traffic signaling networks, variable message/changeable message signs and electronic toll collection systems. IFS products are also used in building automation and control as well as post-production and broadcast applications. “GE's accelerated growth in electronic security will help to protect the public and provide peace of mind,” said Lloyd Trotter, president and CEO, GE Industrial Systems. “IFS broadens the range of GE product offerings for analog and digital security products.” IFS will become a subsidiary of GE Interlogix, Inc., a part of GE Industrial Systems. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Graybar wins contract to sell supplies to schools and government agencies

Graybar Electric Co., St Louis, has been awarded an exclusive, five-year contract worth millions in sales a year to provide electrical supplies to state and local governments, school districts, and other tax-funded agencies that participate in the U.S. Communities program. The contract was awarded by Los Angeles County, Calif., and will be made available to public agencies nationwide through the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, the nation's largest local government buying cooperative. The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), the National Association of Counties (NACo), the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), the National League of Cities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors are national founding co-sponsors of U.S. Communities. The contract with Graybar enables purchasing managers, installers and other representatives of public agencies to buy thousands of electrical products — ranging from wiring, conduit, and circuit breakers to lighting fixtures, outlets and switches. More than 7,000 local, county and state governments, school districts and other tax-funded entities currently access U.S. Communities. Graybar also holds an exclusive contract for communications and data products under the U.S. Communities program.