Finland’s Market Court has given its approval of the planned joint venture between Uponor (Vantaa; www.uponor.com) and the KWH Group (Vasaa; www.kwhpipe.com), to merge their infrastructure solutions businesses into a jointly owned enterprise, Uponor Infra Oy.

The court handed down its decision 24 May with the mandate that the two pipes businesses meet two conditions: the new entity agrees to offer contract manufacturing of selected product ranges up to agreed volumes to other pipe manufacturers operating in the Finnish market, and that the JV agrees to sell off seven specified extrusion lines. Both companies have said they will do so. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority can still appeal the court’s verdict within a period of 30 days.

In September 2012, the two Finnish companies announced plans to establish a jointly-owned entity comprising Uponor’s and KWH Group’s infrastructure solutions businesses – see PieWeb from 01.03.2013. The new company will have Uponor as its majority owner (55.3%) and will be consolidated within the Uponor Corporation as the segment "Uponor Infrastructure Solutions". KWH Group will own the remaining 44.7% of the shares.