Caterpillar will close its Electro-Motive locomotive plant in London, Ontario, and lay off at least 450 workers following several months of unsuccessful contract negotiations with the Canadian Auto Workers union. The company said that the closing is taking place because the cost structure of the operation is not sustainable.

The contract with Electro-Motive Canada workers in London expired Dec. 31, and Caterpillar had been looking for wage and benefit concessions from the CAW.

Electro-Motive was acquired by Caterpillar for $820 million in 2010 and is a part of its Alabama-based Progress Rail Services unit. Workers at the London plant have been locked out of the plant since the beginning of 2012 as a result of the contract dispute.

"It is regrettable that it has become necessary to close production operations at the London facility," Caterpillar said in a news release. "Progress Rail's global manufacturing network assures its customers that delivery schedules will not be impacted by this decision."

Electro-Motive makes diesel-electric locomotives, and maintains production facilities in Mexico and Illinois.

Regal Beloit Corp. announced that it has acquired Milwaukee Gear Co., a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of highly engineered gearing components for oil and gas applications along with a variety of commercial and industrial applications.

The acquisition price was $80 million, subject to customary working capital adjustments, and was paid in cash. Milwaukee Gear is expected to add approximately $60 million in revenue for the remainder of fiscal 2012, Regal Beloit said.

"Milwaukee Gear is a very well-managed business with an excellent reputation resulting from its application engineering excellence and its high precision manufacturing processes," said Mark Gliebe, chairman and chief executive officer of Regal Beloit. "The business will be a great fit within our Mechanical segment, allowing us to offer customers a larger range of gearing solutions while diversifying our end markets."

Generac Holdings Inc. announced that one of its subsidiaries has acquired substantially all of the assets and certain liabilities of Gen-Tran Corp., a transfer switch and portable generator accessory manufacturer based in Alpharetta, Ga. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Gen-Tran manufactures generator transfer switch products for residential and light commercial back-up power applications. The company was founded in 1982 and said it has an installed base of over a million units. Gen-Tran’s product offering fits strategically between Generac’s existing portable generator and home standby product offering, providing a broader set of solutions for consumers and allowing the combined companies to capture additional accessory sales, Generac said.

“Adding Gen-Tran products to our offering will better position our portable products as safe, reliable backup solutions while complementing our fully automatic home standby solutions,” said Steve Goran, vice president of Business Development for Generac. “By merchandising our products together across broadened distribution channels, we believe we can capture incremental sales opportunities through a more informed consumer, further building on our position as the leader in residential backup power.”

Gen-Tran President, Jack Mandula, will continue to manage Gen-Tran’s operations in Alpharetta. Gen-Tran’s current management team and staff joined Generac upon closing and will help lead the integration of the company’s products and operations, Generac said.

Navistar, Inc. has announced the launch of a comprehensive natural gas strategy, including integrated natural gas product offerings and a strategic partnership with fuel supplier Clean Energy Fuels Corp. that is intended to provide customers with a commercially viable method for adding natural gas powered trucks to their fleets.

“Natural gas has clearly emerged as the most realistic alternative fuel option for the trucking industry,” said Dan Ustian, Navistar chairman, president and CEO. “Together, Navistar and Clean Energy have come up with a breakthrough program that offers customers a quicker payback on their investment plus added fuel costs savings from day one of operation. When combined with Navistar’s industry-leading dealer network and Clean Energy’s unmatched fuel distribution system, customers can be confident that bringing natural gas vehicles into their fleets makes good business sense.”

Navistar and Clean Energy will work with Navistar truck dealers and fleet customers on the deployment of natural gas powered trucks and a natural gas distribution support system. Clean Energy unveiled a route plan for the first phase of 150 new liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling stations for America’s Natural Gas Highway (ANGH). The company has identified 98 locations and anticipates having 70 stations open by the end of 2012 in 33 states.

 “We believe the deployment of new, innovative, heavy-duty natural gas engines by world-class original equipment truck manufacturers like Navistar is accelerating the transition to natural gas fuel as a game-changer for heavy-duty trucking,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, Clean Energy President and CEO.

Navistar said it will leverage its existing commercial truck and engine platforms to offer the broadened portfolio of integrated products for the natural gas market. The company will continue to offer International DuraStar and WorkStar vocational trucks with its natural gas powered MaxxForce DT, developed in conjunction with Emissions Solutions Incorporated (ESI) of McKinney.

To meet the growing demands of the regional haul and class 7/8 vocational market Navistar will offer the Cummins-Westport ISL-G, in the International TranStar and WorkStar. Additionally, Navistar will enter into a phase II developmental agreement with Clean Air Power Ltd. on the International ProStar, WorkStar and PayStar vocational trucks, powered by a diesel pilot injection LNG MaxxForce 13 L engine.

“One of the major obstacles in customer transition to natural gas has been the lack of a gas powered range of engines designed to meet the multiple requirements without compromise,” said Jim Hebe, Navistar senior vice president, North America Sales Operations. “Navistar—with its extended range of truck engines—is uniquely able to leverage engine platforms into the industry’s broadest range of natural gas trucks. When the MaxxForce 13L is introduced in mid-2013, customers will have a capable range of natural engines and trucks, from 7.6 to 13 L with horsepower ranging from 200 to 450.”