Joining Materials Segment
The Joining Materials segment primarily fabricates precious metals and their
alloys into brazing alloys. Brazing alloys are used to join similar and dissimilar
metals, as well as specialty metals and some ceramics, with strong, hermetic
joints. The Joining Materials segment offers these metal joining products in
a wide variety of alloys, including gold, silver, palladium, copper, nickel,
aluminum and tin. These brazing alloys are fabricated into a variety of engineered
forms and are used in many industries, including electrical, appliance, transportation,
construction and general industrial, where dissimilar material and metal joining
applications are required. Operating income from precious metal products is
principally derived from the "value-added" of processing and fabricating
and not from the direct purchase and resale of precious metals. The Joining
Materials segment enters into commodity futures and forward contracts to mitigate
the impact of price fluctuations on its precious and certain non-precious metal
inventories that are not subject to fixed price contracts. We believe that the
business unit that comprises our Joining Materials segment is the North American
market leader in many of the markets that it serves.
Tubing Segment
The Tubing segment manufactures a wide variety of steel tubing products. We
believe that the Tubing segment manufactures the world's longest continuous
seamless stainless steel tubing coils, in excess of 5,000 feet, serving the
petrochemical infrastructure and shipbuilding markets. In addition, we believe
it is the number one supplier of small diameter (less than 3 mm) coil tubing
to industry leading specifications serving the aerospace, defense and semiconductor
fabrication markets. This segment also manufactures welded carbon steel tubing
in coiled and straight lengths with a primary focus on products for the transportation,
appliance and heating, and oil and gas industries. In addition to producing
bulk tubing, it produces value-added fabrications for several of these industries.
Building Materials Segment
The Building Materials segment manufactures and supplies products primarily
to the commercial construction and building industries. It manufactures fasteners
and fastening systems for the U.S. commercial low-slope roofing industry, which
are sold to building and roofing material wholesalers, roofing contractors and
private label roofing system manufacturers, and a line of engineered specialty
fasteners for the building products industry for fastening applications in the
remodeling and construction of homes, decking and landscaping. We believe that
our primary business unit in the Building Materials segment is the market leader
in fasteners and accessories for commercial low-slope roofing applications and
that the majority of the net sales for the segment are for the commercial construction
repair and replacement market.
Performance Materials Segment
The Performance Materials segment manufactures sheet and mechanically formed
glass, quartz, carbon and aramid materials for specialty applications in a wide
expanse of markets requiring highly engineered components. Its products are
used in a wide range of advanced composite applications, such as civilian and
military aerospace components, printed electronic circuit boards, specialty
commercial construction substrates, automotive and industrial components, and
soft body armor for civilian and military applications.
Electrical Products Segment
The Electrical Products segment designs, manufactures and markets power electronics,
motion control, power protection, power quality electromagnetic equipment, and
custom gears and gearboxes used in a variety of medical, commercial and military
aerospace, computer, datacom, industrial, architectural and entertainment lighting,
and telecom applications. Its products are generally incorporated into larger
systems to improve operating performance, safety, reliability and efficiency.
The reported operations of the Electrical Products segment are comprised of
the operations of SLI and EME, which were acquired on June 1, 2016 and September
30, 2016, respectively.
Kasco Blades and Route Repair Services Segment
The Kasco segment provides meat-room blade products, repair services and resale
products for the meat and deli departments of supermarkets, restaurants, meat
and fish processing plants, and for distributors of electrical saws and cutting
equipment, principally in North America and Europe. The Kasco segment also provides
wood cutting blade products for the pallet manufacturing, pallet recycler and
portable saw mill industries in North America.