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Linking up Combining strengths
NEWS
Combining strengths
US acquisition to strengthen Gränges’ position
Coesia continues to invest in Italy
Gränges 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 Coesia 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 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
Polish company takes over Qingdao Meteor Rubber & Plastics
Polish 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 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
LINKINGUP
Gerken Group acquired by Wabtec Vattenfall buys project development company for Wabtec Corporation has acquired Gerken Group SA, a leading manufacturer of ‘Global Tech II’ project speciality carbon and graphite products for rail and other industrial applications. The company has annual sales of about $40 million
Raymond T. Betler, Wabtec’s president and chief executive officer, said: “Gerken’s range of speciality products expands our capabilities with existing customers and in new markets. The company will also be a good strategic fit with other Wabtec divisions, including Fandstan and Fulmer, and with our friction businesses.”
Founded more than 80 years ago, Gerken manufactures a variety of carbon brushes and strips, graphite and related products used in railway traction, power generation and other industrial markets. The company’s sales are primarily in the aftermarket and outside of North America.
Wabtec Corporation is a global provider of value-added, technology-based products and services for rail and other industrial markets. Through its subsidiaries, the company manufactures a range of products for locomotives, freight cars and passenger transit vehicles. The company also builds new switcher and commuter locomotives, and provides aftermarket services. The company has facilities located throughout the world. Visit: www.gerken-group.com Vattenfall has acquired Northern Energy GlobalTech II GmbH from Erste Nordsee-Offshore-Holding GmbH, a joint subsidiary of Austrian STRABAG SE and indirectly Etanax GmbH. Northern Energy GlobalTech II is the owner of the offshore wind project ‘Global Tech II’. Global Tech II is located in the German North Sea 85km north of the island of Borkum. The project is currently under development with a number of up to 79 wind turbines in an area of 47 square kilometres. Gunnar Groebler, senior vice-president and head of business area Wind at Vattenfall, comments: “The acquisition of Global Tech II underlines, once more, that our growth ambitions in wind are under full steam. With Global Tech II we also send a signal that we strongly believe in the German market under the framework of the new renewable energy law (EEG).” Visit: www.vattenfall.com
ams acquires sensing specialist MAZeT
ams AG, a leading provider of high performance sensors and analogue ICs, has closed the transaction to acquire 100% of the shares in the colour and spectral sensing systems specialist MAZeT GmbH for an undisclosed amount in cash. The strategic acquisition extends ams’ market leadership in advanced optical sensors and strengthens its position in emerging optical sensing applications.
Focused on industrial and medical applications, MAZeT offers very strong system and application know-how in advanced colour and spectral sensing and outstanding optical engineering expertise. MAZeT’s capabilities include IC and filter design as well as hardware and software system development with its JENCOLOR® sensors being used currently in applications including airplane interior lighting, agricultural sensors, and medical skin lesion analysis.
Dr Fred Grunert, CEO of MAZeT GmbH, comments on the transaction: “MAZeT has been a pioneer in optical colour and spectral sensor development and we are very pleased to join ams. Combining complementary products and the sensor expertise of both companies will create an even stronger leadership position with a leading portfolio of optical sensors targeting the automotive, industrial, medical and smart lighting end markets.” Visit: Visit: www.mazet.de
Fred Grunert
Yara purchases Tata Chemicals’ urea business in India
Yara International ASA has entered into an agreement to acquire the Tata Chemicals Ltd (TCL) Babrala urea plant and distribution business in Uttar Pradesh for USD 400 million.
“This acquisition represents another significant step in our growth strategy, creating an integrated position in the world’s second-largest fertiliser market. India has strong population growth and increasing living standards, and significant potential to improve agricultural productivity,” said Svein Tore Holsether, president and chief executive officer of Yara.
The plant has an annual production of 0.7 million tonnes ammonia and 1.2 million tonnes urea, and generated revenues and EBITDA of respectively USD 350 million and USD 35 million in the financial year ended 31 March 2016. The plant was commissioned in 1994, and is the most energy efficient in India, on a par with Yara’s best plants. Yara has operated in India since the 1990s, focusing in recent years on premium product sales in the west and south of the country. Visit: www.yara.com
