Charter International's products join, cleave, and blow. It operates through two leading engineering companies. ESAB makes light- to heavy-duty welding equipment and a range of consumables (electrodes, wire, and fluxes) for joining and cutting metals used in shipbuilding, oil and gas, and auto industries. ESAB's offerings include automation and oxy-fuel cutting machinery, along with welding and cutting services. Charter's Howden subsidiary designs and sells industrial fans, air and gas handling equipment, and compressors for power generation, petrochemical, steel, and mining activities. In early 2012 Charter was acquired by fluid handling products manufacturer Colfax for £1.5 billion ($2.3 billion).