Effective April 21, 2004, Hommer Tool & MFG., Inc. announces it has entered into an agreement to purchase the assets and ongoing business concerns of Romar Mold Inc., located in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Hommer Tool has been in the business of producing custom components for the injection molding industry for 21 years. Although Hommer Tool has been successful in sustaining growth throughout this recent market contraction, customers have been stressing the need for mold ready components that include EDM and polishing. During the process of exploring these services, Hommer Tool was approached by one of its long time top accounts, Romar Mold, whose owner was looking towards retirement. Romar Mold has been in business over thirty years building molds for one of Illinois' largest medical manufacturers. In recent years, Romar's business had shifted from building molds to manufacturing replacement components for molders and mold builders.

"The fit between the two organizations is great.” states J.R. Hommer, Vice President of Hommer Tool & Mfg., Inc. Romar Mold has built a solid reputation as a service driven organization that services its customers in a manner consistent with Hommer Tool. Romar Mold brings the knowledge of moldmaking coupled with the experience of EDM processing and precision component manufacturing. Hommer Tool plans on leveraging its technology, management and marketing talents with Romar's EDM and moldmaking knowledge to form an organization that can better service the mold makers and molders with mold ready tooling. Hommer Tool notes that many of the moldmakers that originally built tools are no longer in business to service them. Hommer Tool hopes to position itself to service these accounts. Says J.R. Hommer, "We have built a wonderful business doing component work and see this as an opportunity to build on that business and better serve our customers.”

For more information contact Susan Menn (Marketing Manager) at Hommer Tool & Manufacturing, Inc. (Arlington Heights) at 847-394-3355.