Maier S. Coop (Guernica / Spain; www.maier.es), part of Mondragón Group (Mondragón / Spain; www.mondragon-corporation.com), has acquired 50% of the shares in Italy’s Cromoplastica International (Verdellino; www.cromoplastica.com). The Spanish group has retained an option to acquire the remaining shares as well. The transaction brings the number of Maier’s plants in Europe to six – three in Spain and one each in the UK, Czech Republic and now Italy.

Cromoplastica mainly focuses on galvanising and chrome-plating plastic parts for automotive applications. The company’s 250 employees posted sales of EUR 31m in 2011. Following the acquisition, Cromoplastica will become part of Maier’s Decoration business unit.

At the beginning of this year, the Spanish group established a joint venture with India’s UM Group (Haryana; www.umgroup.in). Alpha Maier is to manufacture decorated and grafted plastic parts for the subcontinent’s automotive industry. The company has set aside EUR 5m to raise production in an effort to meet new orders from Maruti Suzuki as well as Maier’s customers in Europe. Alpha Maier is expected to contribute sales of EUR 4m in 2012.

Maier posted sales of EUR 198m in 2011, just slightly below the figure achieved in 2010. Roughly 80% of revenues are generated by its automotive activities, with autobody parts accounting for two-thirds of this sum while interior components make up the remaining third. The other 20% of sales are divided among household goods and other applications. The Guernica-based group plans to raise revenues to EUR 213m in 2013 – a feasible goal considering the latest purchase.