I spent the past three days touring Baldor (www.baldor.com) manufacturing plants and test centers in North Carolina and South Carolina. It was a week of fresh-baked cookies constantly coming out of the oven. I mean that figuratively, of course, but the days were filled with one batch of sensory delights after another.

After it was announced that Sullair was being purchased by private equity firms BC Partners (www.bcpartners.com) and The Carlyle Group (www.carlyle.com) from Hamilton Sundstrand (www.hamiltonsundstrand.com), the party had begun.