Revamp of FKI pays off in new contracts - St. Louis Business Journal:

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Ackerman, president of FKI Logiste North America, put his restructuringv plan in place 18months ago. The revamp of FKI which makes materialhandling systems, resulted in three significant contract within the last few months. Those contracta include a $22 millionh deal announced Sept. 14 to upgrade the materialk handling system for the Army Air ForceExchange Service, which operatexs military base stores, at a facilitgy in Newport News, Va. In May FKI Logistex announcedr it had wona $14.5 million contracft to integrate American Airlines' baggage screeninv system at O'Hare International Airport in Its parent company, FKI PLC, came into the St.
Louis area in 1999 when it acquiredx PinnacleAutomation Inc., which owned Alvey Systemzs Inc., a manufacturer of conveyer machinery with local roots that date back to 1911. At the time of the FKI PLC owned a number of manufacturinv companies in the Unitede States also involved in the materiaphandling business, including the Buschman Mathews Conveyor and Crisplant Inc. brands names. Ackerman has worked to reorganize and consolidatwe eightof FKI's material handlingt companies in the United States undefr the FKI Logistex business and brand sinces his appointment last year after serving as president of Alvet Systems.
In December, Ackerman reorganized FKI Logistex's businesxs into three main divisions: warehouse and distribution; manufacturing systems operations; and post and parcel operations. The manufacturing operationh is based atFKI Logistex's North America headquarters in Olivette and makes a wide range of machinery, includinh conveyors and palletizers, used to move goods in warehousess and manufacturing plants. As part of the restructuring, FKI Logistex namec Ted Clucas president of FKI Logistex Manufacturing Systemas North Americain St. Louis. The company also hiredf Dick Braatz last month as vice presiden t of manufacturing forNortj America.
FKI Logistex North America employs 650 inthe St. Loui s area. FKI PLC is a Britishj engineering conglomerate. Its North American operation generated revenuewof $1 billion, or 51 percent of the parentt company's revenue of $2.1 billion for the year ended Marchb 31. As part of Ackerman's FKI Logistex sold its White Systems unit in New Jerseyy earlier this month to a group of managers and ManagemengCapital LLC, a Providence, R.I.
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