FLSmidth-Excel LLC and Excel Foundry & Machine, Inc., has recently settled an intellectual property dispute with Metso Minerals Industries, Inc. for approximately $25 million. The dispute centered on a trade secret used to create high-performance conical rock crushers used by the mining industry. 

The trade secret was allegedly stolen from Metso and passed on to the defendant by two individuals, one of whom was an ex-employee of Metso, and the other an employee of a Metso authorized repair facility. The suit alleged that two senior officials at FLSmidth-Excel knew, or should have know, that the information was being used to produce the FLSmidth-Excel product known as XL400. 

Metso filed a lawsuit against FLSmidth-Excel LLC and Excel Foundry & Machine, Inc., at the U.S. District Court for the eastern district of Wisconsin. The Case is Metso Minerals Industries, Inc. V. FLSmidth-Excel LLC No. 07-CV-926 (E.D. Wis., May 7, 2007) Metso supplies mining equipment worldwide. FLSmidth-Excel is a worldwide supplier of equipment for both the mining and cement industries. 

SOURCE:
Hajewski, Doris, "Metso settles intellectual property lawsuit for $25 million," Journal Sentinel, June 8, 2010.  http://www.jsonline.com/business/95895699.html