NEWS
Combining strengths
US acquisition to strengthen Gränges’ position
Coesia continues to invest in Italy
G
ränges is to acquire Noranda Aluminum Holding’s downstream aluminium rolling business in the United States. When completed, the transaction will double Gränges’ sales volume and strengthen its position in North America. Furthermore, Gränges will add a number of strategic and attractive market segments in rolled aluminium. “This is a strategically important transaction for us, meaning a new chapter in the history of Gränges is written. Together we will become a global player in our chosen key areas and significantly strengthen our market offering. At the same time, we acquire the platform we have been seeking to expand Gränges in North America,” says Gränges’ CEO Johan Menckel. Noranda’s downstream aluminium rolling business manufactures aluminium products for customers in North America, including manufacturers of stationery air conditioners, transformers, food packaging and other adjacent market segments. The acquisition delivers on Gränges’ goal to be a global supplier with a more balanced footprint by firmly establishing the company in North America and as a US market leader in the strategic HVAC&R market. In addition, the acquisition expands Gränges’s offering into attractive adjacent aluminium rolled product areas. Visit: www.granges.com
Polish company takes over Qingdao Meteor Rubber & Plastics
P
olish manufacturer Sanok Rubber Company has signed a deal to become the sole shareholder of China’s Qingdao Meteor Rubber & Plastics. The shares were acquired from the US-Chinese SIDA Corporation. The Polish manufacturer specialises in making a wide range of rubber and
18 Industry Europe
C
oesia announces the acquisition of G.F SpA, the Parma based company specialised in supplying quality control systems and automated liquid filling machinery for the pharmaceutical sector. With revenues of €15 million in 2015, about 90 employees and headquarters in Solignano (Parma, Italy), G.F has consolidated its position as market leader in recent years by specialising in tailor-made solutions for its customers. “The acquisition of G.F is a further step in strengthening our presence in the automated machinery segment,” says Angelos Papadimitriou,
CEO of Coesia, “allowing us to propose innovative, high-end solutions in the pharmaceutical market and to complete our product offering of New Generation Products (NGP) for the tobacco segment. We are confident that Coesia’s global network and consolidated engineering capabilities will provide G.F with an excellent growth platform.” This acquisition is part of Coesia’s development strategy to enter into value-added sectors such as that of automated machinery for the pharmaceutical sector, in which G.F is present. Visit: www.coesia.com
Trelleborg acquires leading anti-vibration supplier
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relleborg has, through its business area Trelleborg Industrial Solutions, signed an agreement to acquire Schwab Vibration Control, a German and Swiss technology leading supplier of industrial anti-vibration components and systems mainly for the rail market, owned by the Freudenberg Group. Schwab Vibration Control is headquartered and has its production site in Velten, Germany. It also has engineering and sales offices in Adliswil, Switzerland and Laudenbach, Germany. Sales amounted to approximately SEK 575 M in 2015. “The acquired business offers a broad and complementary product portfolio to Trelleborg, mainly within anti-vibration for rail original equipment manufacturers and rail authorities, off-highway vehicles and dedicated industrial segments, primarily in Europe. Our application expertise within antivibration will be further enhanced; Schwab offers world-class cutting-edge engineering and solutions. In addition to increased sales and engineering resources in Europe, our combined offering will also be extended in markets such as North America, China, South East Asia and India,” says Mikael Fryklund, Business Area President for Trelleborg Industrial Solutions. Visit: www.trelleborg.com plastic parts, including rubber/TPE sealing systems. Qingdao Meteor Rubber & Plastics is based in Jiaozhou City, in eastern China, where it also operates a production facility. The company was set up as a joint venture between SIDA Corporation and Germany’s Meteor Gummiwerke. The German manufacturer makes various sealing systems and components from PP, EPDM and rubber, and
supplies its output to a number of major car producers. These include Volkswagen Group, BMW, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar Land Rover, Renault-Nissan and others. Prior to the deal, Sanok Rubber Company held a 20% stake in the Chinese producer through its German-based subsidiary Draftex Automotive GmbH. Visit: www.stomilsanok.com
