The Röchling Group (Mannheim / Germany; www.roechling.de) has acquired SGT Spritzgießtechnik (Weidenberg / Germany; www.sgt-gmbh.de), Meta-Plast A/S (Allingåbro / Denmark; www.meta-plast.dk) and the General Engineering division of the Groupe Laperrière & Verreault (GL&V, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec / Canada), based in Bacup, England. According to a company statement, the three new acquisitions represent an ideal addition to the group because of their experience in plastics processing, market position and sales channels. With a total of around 150 employees, the three companies have combined annual sales of EUR 18m.

Röchling is divided into two segments: "High-performance Plastics" and "Automotive Plastics". It says the purchase of SGT Spritzgießtechnik will underscore its intention to expand in markets in which it has only marginal representation. With a workforce of around 90, SGT specialises in the production of high-precision technical plastic parts. Its main activity is the fully automatic production of metal/plastic connections and products made of high-performance plastics such as PEEK, PPS and PPA. Other areas of production include micro-injection moulded, multi-component and thermoset plastic parts. The company´s injection moulding machines cover a range of 150-1,500 kN and it also has its own toolmaking department.

Röchling intends to increase its market share in Scandinavia through the acquisition of Meta-Plast – a manufacturer of ready-machined parts with production facilities in Allingåbro in Denmark and Liepaja in Latvia. It is also looking to expand its machining department for high-performance plastics. Meta-Plast currently has some 70 employees and annual sales of around DKK 70m (EUR 9.4m). The company supplies products to a range of sectors including the food and medical technology segment and the chemical industry.

GL&V´s General Engineering division specialises in the production of extruded profiles and finished parts in thermoplastics. The Canadian parent company, which has considerable experience in the field of water treatment, acquired the company eighteen months ago when it was operating under the name Perplas. GL&V is now divesting the activities that do not fit with its core businesses. Röchling plans to shift production and the 29 employees to Gloucester, UK.

According to Röchling´s statement, the acquisitions represent the first steps towards the planned expansion of its business activities in plastics processing. It remains particularly interested in companies with specific product knowledge, good customer relations and specialised production processes to help expand its portfolio, explained Georg Duffner, Chairman of the Röchling board of management.