Two Southwestern PVF powerhouses will join forces as the result of a planned acquisition of the assets and business operations of R.J. Gallagher Co. by Red Man Pipe & Supply Co.

Three members of the Industrial Piping Division of the American Supply Association have joined the board of directors for the Common Industry Material Identification System.

Canadian valve manufacturer Velan acquired Bouvier-Darling SA, a Grenoble, France, manufacturer of gate, check and specialty valves for the nuclear and fossil-power industries and gas pipelines.

Tyco International sold The Mueller Co. and Grinnell Supply Sales and Manufacturing to a company formed by DLJ Merchant Banking Partners II and affiliated investors.

President Clinton signed a law authorizing a $1.5 billion loan program for steel, oil and natural gas companies that have been hard-hit by depressed prices.

Robert J. Weller is the new vice president/business development for Matco-Norca Inc.

Asahi/America announced a merger agreement with Midnight Acquisition Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Organic Chemicals Industry Co.

A new e-commerce Web site allows plant managers to order MRO materials over the Internet whenever they are needed.

A study indicates that, while cost efficiencies are still a high priority with procurement professionals, an inability or unwillingness to effectively use new technology has resulted in a stall in achieving those goals.

The online marketplace MetalSite announced eight new sellers, all service centers. The company also announced that initial testing of a steel-products catalog was successful.