WILLMAR — RELCO, a Willmar-based company that provides processing technologies for the dairy and food industry, has been acquired by Koch Separation Solutions, a Massachusetts-based technology company, according to a news release from Koch.
Manny Singh, president of Koch Separation Solutions, said in the release that separation challenges in the dairy, food, and other industries are complex and rarely solved with one technology.
"The acquisition of RELCO adds complementary evaporation and drying technologies to the existing membrane and ion exchange offering of KSS. This combined product offering, along with deep applications knowledge, will ensure a seamlessly integrated solution while delivering maximum value to our customers.”
The release states that the acquisition will expand the scope of capabilities for Koch Separation Solutions and provide better service for its customers.
RELCO was established in 1982.
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“I founded this company almost four decades ago offering only sanitary welding services and came to realize the greater need for custom designed and engineered systems in the dairy market,” Loren Corle, founder of RELCO, said in the release, and the company grew and evolved its technologies.
Mark Litchfield, president of RELCO, said in the release that the acquisition will allow RELCO "to offer integrated and innovative membrane filtration and ion exchange systems with our solutions targeting value addition, energy efficiency, and waste minimization. KSS offers ideal growth conditions for an innovative and quality-focused company like RELCO and we are excited to be a part of this expansion.”
RELCO in a statement to the West Central Tribune added that all employees of RELCO will retain employment and operations will continue out of the Willmar office location.
“An important part of the acquisition was that our current employees would not be impacted negatively, rather, that they would benefit from this transaction," Corle said.
The statement noted that RELCO has been an industry leader because of the hard work and dedication that the employees put into their work every day, and that family-type atmosphere will remain.
RELCO said its employees will be able to grow their skills individually and be a part of something that allows for endless opportunity as the company takes its offerings to another level.
