SAI Automotive AG (Friesstr. 26, D-60388 Frankfurt) – previously called Sommer Allibert Industrie AG – has signed an agreement to sell its sanitary products division to the private investment group Andlinger & Company Inc. Europe (Avenue Louise 148, B-1050 Brussels). For the company, whose shares are listed on the unofficial market at the Frankfurt stock exchange, this marks another step towards concentrating on the automobile sector. According to company information, the purchase agreement, which was concluded retroactively from 31 December 1996, should take effect at the end of February 1997.

The sale increases SAI's turnover in the automobile division to 95% (90%). In 1995 the company had a consolidated turnover of DEM 1.2bn, and for 1996 around DEM 1.6bn is expected. The company unit Allibert Transport and Storage Technology, which distributes plastic transit containers and storage equipment for commerce, skilled trade and industry, will continue to be part of SAI Automotive.

The Andlinger group has about 520 employees and achieved a turnover of about DEM 180m in Europe in 1996. The investors will continue to run the bought business division under the name Allibert GmbH, Frankfurt. All 114 employees in the division will be taken over from SAI Automotive. Andlinger, which has factories for plastic articles in the field of sanitary and household goods in France and Belgium, intends to enlarge its range of household goods and expand its production and distribution activities through the deal.

Incidentally: The accounts of Lignotock GmbH (D-36205 Sontra) have been fully consolidated with those of SAI Automotive since the beginning of 1997. The registered office of Sommer Allibert-Lignotock GmbH was moved from Frankfurt to Wörth (PO Box 101363, D-76732 Wörth). The share capital is DEM 2m. The managing directors are Jean-Michel Elter, Caspar Baumhauer, Peter Hasenpflug and Georg Kirchbaumer.