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• Yesterday, Grainger announced plans to acquire Fabory Group, a European distributor of fasteners and related MRO products, for $344 million. The firms plan to enter into a definitive agreement upon completion of required consultations with the Works Councils representing Fabory employees in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, according to Grainger. Subject to closing conditions, the transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter. Fabory would continue to operate as a separate business under the Fabory name and brand. In addition, Fabory Group Chief Executive Officer Oswald van den Belt would continue to lead the business and report to Court Carruthers, senior vice president and president of Grainger International, according to Grainger.

• RailComm has been selected to expand its existing yard system at BNSF Railway Co.’s mechanical facility in Memphis, Tenn. RailComm’s Domain Operations Controller (DOC®) system will be used to remotely control derails, RailComm said in a press release. The DOC system will include two workstations that will enable the user to monitor device status and review operation logs of all system activity.

• Axion International reported a net loss of $2.9 million in the second quarter compared with a net loss of $2.2 million in second-quarter 2010. Net losses for the second quarters of 2011 and 2010 included non-cash expenses of $2.3 million and $900,000, respectively. Revenue for the quarter reached $1.3 million, up 191 percent from $446,000 in second-quarter 2010. As of June 30, current assets stood at $6.5 million, current liabilities at $1.5 million and working capital at $5 million, according to Axion.

• Global Railway Industries Ltd. reported a net loss of $581,000 in the second quarter compared with a net loss of $823,000 from continuing operations a year ago. All dollar figures were reported in Canadian currency. The company reported total revenue of $10.1 million compared with $11.9 million from continuing operations in second-quarter 2010. During the second quarter, the company delivered four remanufactured locomotives under a refurbishment contact with VIA Rail Canada Inc. In addition, on June 24, the company was awarded a $120.6 million contract with Metrolink to refurbish 127 bi-level passenger cars over a six-year period.

• The Railway Supply Institute (RSI) has released a summary of the states with the largest concentration of railway supply companies in terms of facilities, employees and sales. According to the report, the top railway supply states are Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, Ohio, California, Florida, Missouri, Georgia, Indiana and Virginia. Using data gathered from RSI members and other sources, the report illustrates that in these 11 states alone, more than 650 companies operate more than 800 facilities, employ 90,000 workers and generate about $23 billion in revenue.

• Mike Kearns, a longtime member of the railroad recycling industry, died Aug. 12 in Muncie, Ind., after a battle with cancer. Since 1996, Kearns had been employed with Tie Yard of Omaha, now Omaha Track Materials, where he was vice president of steel operations. He joined the rail industry when he formed Miro Enterprises in the late 1970s. After the death of his partner, he worked for Continental Rail Co. in Houston. Kearns is survived by wife Sheila, three children and two grandchildren.