The Gates Corporation has bought Mectrol`s polyurethane power transmission and motion control belts business and formed a new company, Gates Mectrol, to produce and sell these products in future. Gates is keeping Mectrol`s 180 employees, located at bases in the US, Germany and Mexico.

The acquisition "creates new opportunities for Gates to service the linear positioning, motion control and conveying markets with polyurethane products," explains Gates` president, Richard Bell.

Gates, which claims to be the global market leader in power transmission belts, is owned by UK-based Tomkins plc.