Dow Chemical (Midland, Michigan / USA; www.dow.com) is purchasing Edulan (Aarhus / Denmark; www.edulan.com), a Danish polyurethane (PU) systems house specialising in rigid foam and elastomer technologies for an undisclosed sum. The US group will acquire Edulan’s business and production facility in Denmark plus rights to all its PU systems, which it said can be further developed into tailored solutions.

“This acquisition continues our strategy of patient, disciplined investment to grow our performance businesses,” said Juan Antonio Merino, general manager of business unit Dow Polyurethane Systems, adding that it also expands Dow’s portfolio of PU systems technology. By establishing a base in Denmark, the company will be well positioned to meet demand for customised PU systems in the Nordic countries and to capture emerging demand in the growing economies of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Dow Polyurethane Systems has been pursuing growth opportunities through a combination of acquisitions and joint ventures, noted Merino. It formed a joint venture with a Russian PU systems company Izolan last year and in May 2007 acquired British Vita’s UK-based PU systems business Hyperlast. Edulan supplies the rigid foam market as well as customers for speciality elastomers.