Following the merger with Wavin (HQ: NL-8000 AD Zwolle) in the field of pressure fittings for gas and water supply, the Swiss company Georg Fischer AG (HQ: CH-8201 Schaffhausen) is continuing its expansion strategy in order to become a whole-of-the-range supplier for plastics pipeline systems. In May 1999, Fischer´s “Pipe Connection Technology” division took over the Italian company Omicron S.r.l. (Via E. Ferni 12, I-35030 Casella di Selvazzano). Omicron manufactures and markets plastics welding machines for pipe connections and has sales of around CHF 6m. At the beginning of July, Fischer acquired for its “Pipeline Systems” division another Italian company, Tecno Plastic S.p.A. (Via Fontanella 22, I-16012 Busalla), which predominantly manufactures plastics fittings for plastic pipeline systems. In 1998, the company achieved sales of CHF 15m with a workforce of 60. At the end of July, Fischer announced the acquisition of 20 percent of the Israeli pipeline system supplier, Plasson Ltd (Tel Aviv).

The Plasson Group describes itself as the world market leader in the production and marketing of plastics clamp fittings, with sales of around CHF 150m, of which CHF 130m comes from the international market. Its core business is the production of irrigation pipelines for industrial agriculture. Plasson is also involved in the field of connecting elements for gas and water supply lines. Georg Fischer now considers itself to be in a good position to successfully market the complete segment of water distribution, industrial agriculture and irrigation.

Georg Fischer, which posted sales of CHF 600m in 1998 with a workforce of around 2,700, is also expanding geographically, having opened a new plant with 37 employees in Pudong / China in April.