Mohawk purchase gets approval
The European Commission has approved Mohawk Industries' acquisition of Belgian panel board maker Spano Invest. The $168 million purchase had been under review by European anti-trust regulators for the past month.
Spano manufactures and distributes chip and melamine boards used in furniture construction and as building materials. The company is majority-owned by Belgian holding company Ackermans & Van Haaren.
Spano was the most recent in a string of announced acquisitions by Calhoun, Ga.-based Mohawk. Earlier this month, the company said it had completed its $1.6 billion buyout of Italian ceramic tile maker Marazzi Group. Mohawk completed its purchase of Swedish laminate flooring company Pergo for $150 million in January.
Michigan worker dies at Nissan
SMYRNA, Tenn. - Nissan officials say an employee of a supplier died in a fatal accident at its vehicle assembly plant in Smyrna.
The employee of Lake Orion, Mich.-based Complete Automation was killed Thursday in the factory's paint plant. Bob Light, a spokesman for Complete Automation, said the employee was killed when a large electrical panel fell while it was being moved. Light said the company makes paint systems for Nissan and the employee, who was not identified, lived in Michigan.