Sarna Polymer Holding (Sarnen / Switzerland; www.sarna.com) has sold its last non-core business, Sarnatech BNL (Knaresborough / UK; www.sarnatech-bnl.com), a leading designer and manufacturer of innovative plastic bearing solutions – see PIE 21, 2005. Buyer is Plastics Capital Ltd (London / UK), a manufacturer of speciality plastics products for industrial applications. A purchase price was not disclosed. Sarna, which is merging with compatriot roofing membranes manufacturer Sika (Baar / Switzerland; www.sika.com) – see PIE 19, 2005 – plans to concentrate on its Sarnafil Division.

Sarnatech BNL, which last reported annual sales of CHF 20m (nearly EUR 13m), will continue to operate at the Knaresborough site with all 125 employees and 23 injection moulding machines for manufacture of precision components, including the double component technology for TPE surfaces. The company will take back its previous name of BNL (Bearings Non Lube).

Sarna said the proceeds received from selling the automotive companies “lies within the expected range” so that value adjustments of CHF 75m made in the 2004 balance sheet were sufficient. The loss from the sale of Sarnamotive Paulmann & Crone was compensated a profit from the sale of Sarnamotive Schenk/Bohemia. Transaction and consultancy costs for the divestment program totalled CHF 8m.