KB Electronics, Inc. (“KB” or the “Company”), a leading designer and manufacturer of AC and DC electric motor drives and controls, has been acquired by Nidec Corporation (“Nidec”, NYSE: NJ).

Founded in 1968, KB offers a full line of drives and controls for AC and DC motors from fractional through five horsepower, primarily used for industrial automation, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC), pumps and material handling systems. The Company manufactures more than 200 types of standard off the-shelf controls for a variety of industrial and commercial applications and also offers a wide range of drive customization solutions.  KB is headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida, with a subsidiary operation in Hong Kong.

Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, Nidec is a global leader in the manufacture of electric motors and components for a wide variety of industries including industrial automation, computers and electronics, automotive, appliances and commercial equipment.  KB will become a part of Nidec Motor Corporation, the Nidec center of excellence for appliance, commercial and industrial motors and solutions formed from the 2010 acquisition of the Emerson motors and controls division.

KB President and founder Gil Knauer commented, “We look forward to being an important part of Nidec Motor Corporation and for the many opportunities that will be offered to KB Electronics.  The integration of Nidec motors and KB controls will provide a perfect solution for customer applications.”

“The addition of KB drives and controls into the Nidec product portfolio expands our ability to provide packaged solutions to customers who want to pair a simple AC input variable speed control with a motor,” said Kei Pang, President and CEO.  “KB’s people and products do an excellent job of delivering what their customers really want: quality, customization, and simple-to-use products.  With this acquisition, we have the ability to provide a variable speed solution for every motor we offer.”

PB&W served as exclusive financial adviser to KB.  For more information about this transaction, please contact Matthew Carpente at mcarpenter@pbandw.com.