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1999 was a year of-many changes in the abrasive industry. New companies include Manhattan Abrasives Inc, Niles, IL, which is the US representative for Abrasivos Manhattan, a Spanish abrasives manufacturer. Gator Diamonds, Winter Springs, FL, entered the business with expertise in diamond resin pellets for fme grinding. During 1999, Saint Gobain finalized acquisition of diamond supplier American Boarts, Boca Rotan, FL. Fandeli Int'l, Mexico, completed at $20 million upgrade to its manufacturing operations, and Katy Industries, Englewood, CO, purchased the nonwoven abrasives business of the Baystate Gritcloth Division of Tyrolit North America. Among grinding machine tool makers, Weldon Machine Tool became an employee-owned company, and well known Gallmeyer Livingston, Grand Rapids, MI, sold machine tool and parts assets to Leland Gifford, Akron, OH. Also Jones & Shipmann, Leicester, UK and Kennesaw, GA, as well Edgetek, Meriden, CT, were acquired by Holroyd Lancashire, UK. Gear grinding machine tool maker, Gleason Corp accepted a buyout from a team of company managers, converting the company from a public to privately owned company. Grinding wheel maker, Bancroft Co, Inc moved into new facilities at 7550 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, and The Hanson Co, Ferndale, MI, merged with Acme Abrasive, Warren, MI. Also, Black and Decker purchased the assets of Woodlawn Abrasives, Marshall, TX A particularly significant development was the creation of The Unified Abrasives Manufacturers' Ass'n (UAMA), a merger of the Grinding Wheel Institute, The Coated Abrasives Manufacturers Institute, the Diamond Wheel Manufacturers' Institute, and the Abrasive Grain Ass'n.