Laird Group buy Centurion Wireless

Laird Group Plc, the world’s biggest maker of electromagnetic shields for mobile phones, will buy antennae maker Centurion Wireless Technologies Inc for $194.4 million to bolster its business with customers such as Nokia Oyj.

Laird will pay $115 million in cash together with 14.3 million new shares, or 9.99% of its issued stock, Chief Executive Officer Peter Hill said on a conference call.