Duravant LLC (“Duravant”), a global engineered equipment and automation solutions provider to the food processing, packaging and material handling sectors, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Woodside Electronics Corporation (“WECO”), a manufacturer of optical color and defect sorting equipment. Along with Key Technology, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, WECO significantly extends Duravant’s reach across automated food processing and inspection categories with new complementary products, technologies and applications.  

WECO has been a leader in optical sorting technology for fruits and nuts for over 30 years. Their portfolio includes highly intelligent optical color and defect sorting systems and moisture monitoring systems. With corporate headquarters in Woodland, CA, WECO serves national and multi-national customers with leading-edge technology designed to eliminate the need for manual hand labor and maximize throughput.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Don Douglas and the entire WECO team to Duravant,” said Mike Kachmer, president and CEO of Duravant. “WECO’s culture of customer-centric innovation and commitment to rapid and effective new product development makes them a wonderful addition to the Duravant family. WECO moves us into new markets with product-focused applications that are complementary to Key Technology’s offerings; allowing us to provide an even more complete solutions set to our customers.”

“WECO is truly excited to join Duravant, and we look forward to collaborating with the portfolio of Duravant companies,” said Don Douglas, president of WECO. “Duravant and WECO are clearly aligned with a shared culture and Duravant’s global footprint will assist us in accelerating growth while continuing to provide world-class innovation and support to our customers.”