Aluplast (D-76227 Karlsruhe; www.aluplast.de), the German window profile producer, has taken over Plus Plan UK Ltd. (GB-Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 4HE; www.plusplanuk.com) for an undisclosed price, effective 1 June 2003. The subsidiary of the insolvent German Plus Plan GmbH (D-36179 Bebra; www.plusplan.de) was a member of VGT Industrie AG (D-34119 Kassel; www.vgt-ag.de), which is also threatened by insolvency. As an independent company, the British corporation will remain largely unaffected by the insolvency, confirmed Manfred Seitz, Aluplast partner and director in an interview with PIE. The new products are considered a perfect enhancement of the company´s existing range and the new acquisition is taken as the perfect and quick way to a consolidated presence in the British growth market.

Plus Plan UK was founded in 1980 as a marketing company to sell profiles produced in Bebra, Germany. In 1989, the company decided to start its own production. At present, the company´s twelve extrusion lines produce 7,000 t/y of PVC profiles with a turnover of about EUR 20m. The latest acquisition is a move for further consolidation of Aluplast´s position as the fifth largest producer in Europe (PIE 13, 2003 “PVC profile market”). The company now operates seven production sites situated in Germany (3), Britain, Austria, Poland and Russia.

Seitz further announced the company´s plans to expand its 75,000 m² production site in Karlsruhe, Germany, for future use as European headquarters. In September 2003, the existing 10,000 m² production area will be increased by a new 5,000 m² production hall. The company will then operate with a capacity of 75,000 t/y with group sales expected to rise to EUR 220m by 2003.