The chemical concern Solvay SA (HQ: Rue du Prince Albert 33, B-1050 Brussels) is strategically extending its business area of plastics technology for automotive supplies. The Solvay group acquired Helphos GmbH (PO Box 1253, D-38654 Bad Harzburg) a subsidiary of DLW AG (PO Box 1235, D-74302 Bietigheim-Bissingen), effective January 1, 1996. Helphos employs 314 persons and in 1995 had a turnover of DM 80m. The company is a specialised manufacturer of technical blow moulded parts. According to Solvay: "Helphos GmbH is Solvay's second automotive supplier in Germany after Alkor GmbH Kunststoffe (PO Box 710109, D-81451 Munich), a specialist film manufacturer, and its purchase will significantly strengthen this sector."

The Helphos acquisition represents a further step in concentration on Solvay's core business. A German technical centre will be set up, extending and strengthening Solvay's position as a systems manufacturer to the international automobile industry. Solvay is intending to make "substantial investments", also at Helphos "in the area of the fuel feed and suction system based on molten core and injection moulding technologies".

The Solvay Group has more than 20 plants for plastic automobile parts worldwide, and is represented in all countries with major automobile manufacturers (Europe, USA, Asia). Recently Solvay commissioned a fourth plant in the USA to manufacture fuel tanks and suction pipe, acquired the Italian automotive fuel tank manufacturer Safiplast and founded a joint venture in Changzhou (China) as a supplier for the local automotive industry.

Concerning the Solvay deal, DLW's opinion was that its business strategy made it difficult to integrate Helphos's products into the DLW-automotive product range. DLW will now concentrate its automotive supply activities around Georg Näher GmbH (D-71706 Markgröningen) and the Spanish subsidiary Emfisent Automotive SA.