A & E Inc., a privately held Racine, Wisconsin-based company, has purchased the operating assets of the Zim Manufacturing Co. – located in Chicago.

Zim Manufacturing, established in 1919, is a manufacturer of automotive specialty tools, including piston ring compressors and valve spring compressors. Products are sold to automotive tool OEMs, major tool distributors, industrial distributors and major fleet maintenance/repair operations. The company manufactures under its own brand name (ZIM), and on a private label basis.

“This acquisition will give A & E additional product categories to add to its line of proprietary hand tools,” said Ian Lang, A & E’s executive vice president.

A & E produces hand tools for professional automotive technicians under private label to all the large tool companies in the United States and overseas. A & E’s tools also are distributed to the consumer, industrial and OEM markets under its own trade name of LANG TOOLS.

Lang also announced that A & E Inc. would be moving the Zim business into its manufacturing plant located in Racine. “We look forward with a great deal of enthusiasm to this latest acquisition as A & E continues to expand its product offerings to its customers,” he said.