Swiss-based Adval Tech (CH-3172 Niederwangen; www.advaltech.com) acquired German moulder Foboha (D-77716 Haslach; www.foboha.de) on 1 January 2003 for an undisclosed sum. Foboha, which specialises in multi-component tools, employs 164 people and has annual sales of EUR 30m. It will continue to operate independently as an affiliated company within the Adval Tech injection moulding division. The Swiss company, which in addition to injection moulding is specialised in embossing and reshaping of metal, in particular for optical storage media, said the acquisition will add “interesting technological capabilities.”

Adval Tech subsidiary AWM (CH-5360 Muri; www.awm.ch) has capabilities along the entire plastics injection moulding value chain, from production design to tool development and production of high-volume individual parts. It operates production sites at Muri and Merenschwand, Switzerland, as well as at Hong Kong and in the US. The company´s dominant spheres of activity currently are consumer packaging, medical technology, telecommunications and electronic equipment. The addition of Foboha will make it less dependent on the markets for optical discs (ODs) and OD packaging.