Innovance acquires Jorgensen Conveyor and Filtration Solutions

Innovance, a 100% employee-owned holding company focused on manufacturing and industrial technology, has acquired Jorgensen Conveyor and Filtration Solutions. For more than 73 years, Jorgensen has been a leading provider of conveyors, coolant filtration systems, material handling equipment, and chip processing equipment for the machine tool, metalworking, and other industries. As part of Innovance, Jorgensen joins a family of companies concentrated on industrial manufacturing capabilities and solutions to production challenges.

Founded in 2004, Innovance takes its name from its focus on innovation and performance. The Innovance company lineup already includes four companies that share nearly 170 years of innovation and technological refinement. ALMCO manufactures industrial finishing and washing systems. Lou-Rich is a highly integrated contract manufacturer, specializing in complex projects, with precision machining, metal fabrication, assembly, and sourcing capabilities. Mass Finishing Inc. (MFI) creates high-energy centrifugal barrel polishing and deburring equipment. Panels Plus designs and manufactures panelizing equipment for the off-site, modular, and prefabricated building industries.

Merritt Becker, Innovance CEO, highlighted the philosophical and strategic connections among the holding company's family of brands, now including Jorgensen. "Like ALMCO, MFI, and Panels Plus, Jorgensen is an innovative industrial machine manufacturer," he says. "This acquisition continues our strategy of building the Innovance portfolio with recognized industrial machine OEM companies and brands that complement our strong Lou-Rich contract manufacturing business."

Charles and Evelyn Jorgensen founded Jorgensen Conveyor in 1950 to design, manufacture and install conveyors for manufacturing applications at major equipment and automotive production facilities. Innovations in belt design, chip handling and filtration have propelled the company throughout three generations of Jorgensen family ownership in Mequon, Wisconsin. The new alliance with Innovance enables the Jorgensen team to become owners of the business they have helped build.

Jorgensen President and COO Karl Kleppek praised the creativity and vision of the Jorgensen family, including outgoing CEO Chuck D'Amico, grandson of Charles and Evelyn Jorgensen. "Jorgensen's long history in the material handling industry has consistently demonstrated a devotion to high-quality products, attentive customer service and an inclusive, employee-centered workplace culture," Kleppek says. "Joining Innovance will uphold that commitment and build on the Jorgensen legacy."

Through the Innovance commitment to the growth and stability of its brands, Innovance will retain all 65 of Jorgensen's employees and ensure a seamless transition to employee ownership for the Jorgensen team.