MILWAUKEE — A.O. Smith Corp. announced that it will buy the worldwide motor operations of MagneTek, Inc., for approximately $250 million. The deal, expected to close by the end of this month, would be the largest in A.O. Smith’s 125-year history.
MagneTek makes fractional- and integral-horsepower ac and dc electric motors used in many applications, including commercial air conditioners, air compressors, and spa pumps. Its 1998 sales were approximately $367 million.