Speciality chemicals producer Altana (Wesel / Germany; www.altana.com) has acquired the high-performance additives business of DyStar (Frankfurt / Germany; www.dystar.com). Altana intends to incorporate the business, which has annual turnover of EUR 7.5m and provides technologies for additives production and the processing of plastic compounds, into its BYK additives and instruments division (www.byk.com) and integrate production into its main facility in Wesel / Germany.

Calling the deal, which came into effect on 30 March 2009, another in a line of "bolt-on" and "targeted" acquisitions, Altana CEO Matthias Wolfgruber said it underlined his company's unchanged growth ambitions, "especially in economically difficult times." He also said the acquisition created value, further strengthening and enhancing the market position of each of Altana's divisions.

Roland Peter, the president of Altana's BYK additives and instruments division, said the acquisition would "significantly expand the already given know-how of our company in the rapidly growing market of additives for the plastics industry."