Mikron Plastics Technology (CH-2660 Biel; www.mikron-tg.com) has sold Axxicon Mould Technology (NL-5700 AE Helmond; www.axxicon.com) for EUR 27.5m to its current management team. Under the deal supported by Gilde Participaties (www.gilde.nl), part of a leading Dutch private equity group, Axxicon will retain its independence. Core competence of the company with 270 employees and a turnover of EUR 55m from production activities in The Netherlands, the UK and France, lies in the supply of standard moulds for the production of optical storage media and the manufacture of custom moulds for the production of plastics components for the packaging, pharmaceutical and mobile phone industries.

Following the 2001 takeover, Axxicon´s processing division initially was integrated into the Swiss parent´s own operations, while the mould and tool making segment remained with Axxicon. After Mikron pulled out of Balda-Mikron, the 50:50 Chinese joint venture with German mobile phone supplier Balda (D-32549 Bad Oeynhausen; www.balda.de) at the beginning of April 2004, the current divestment is said to be the last step in a structural realignment to refocus on core activities.

Mikron now has three divisions, “Plastics Technology” (production of plastics components), “Assembly Technology” (assembly systems for metal and plastics components) and “Machining Technolgy” (systems and tools for metal machining applications). In 2003, the Swiss group posted consolidated turnover – adjusted for the Chinese divestment – of about EUR 203m, with 80% of sales generated in Europe. With 18 operating companies in ten countries, Mikron currently employs 1,500 people, more than half of these based in Switzerland.