Pacific Scientific Buys Brushless-Motor Manufacturer

Pacific Scientific Co. has bought a privately held manufacturer of brushless motors, a move that is expected to boost annual sales by $20 million, the company said Monday.

Pacific Scientific, based in Newport Beach, purchased Powertec Industrial Corp. of Rock Hill, S.C., for about $15 million.

“With this acquisition, Pacific Scientific will be, to the best of our knowledge, the world’s largest producer of industrial brushless motors and controls outside the market for machine-tool applications,” said Edgar S. Brower, president and chief executive officer at Pacific Scientific, which had 1992 sales of about $173 million.

The company, which designs, manufactures and markets electrical equipment and aircraft safety equipment, reported sales of $49.9 million for the second quarter, an increase of 15% from the same period a year earlier.

Powertec will continue to operate in South Carolina under its name, the company said.

In Monday’s trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Pacific Scientific’s stock lost 25 cents a share to close at $14.75.

“I don’t know why the stock dropped,” said Richard Plat, a company spokesman. “We announced a favorable acquisition this morning, and we recently reported record earnings, so I don’t know why.”