For a total of USD 100m (approximately EUR 86m), reinforcement technologies leader Kordsa Teknik Tekstil (Istanbul / Turkey; www.kordsa.com) has acquired the two US composites specialists, Fabric Development (Quakertown, Pennsylvania; www.fabricdevelopment.com) and Textile Products (Anaheim, California; www.textileproducts.com). With these two subsidiaries, Kordsa – which originally specialised in tyre cord technology – aims to become more involved in the market for fibre-reinforced plastic parts, especially for aviation applications.

"We want to be a strategic supplier to key players in aerospace and civil aviation, particularly Boeing and Toray Composites Materials," said CEO Ali Çaliskan. The focus is on reinforcing fabrics and nonwoven fabrics for the wings and hulls of aircraft as well as landing gear. Çaliskan added that the company would, with its composites activities, add a second cornerstone to its business, alongside tyre reinforcing fabrics.

Both newly acquired companies belong to businessman Piyush Shah, as does the prepreg specialist, TCR Composites (Ogden, Utah / USA; www.tcrcomposites.com), which is evidently not part of the transaction.