Automotive supplier Plastic Omnium (Levallois / France; www.plasticomnium.com) has announced the sale of its environmental business – see Plasteurope.com of 26.07.2018. In December 2018, the Plastic Omnium Environment business unit went to a consortium consisting of investment company Latour Capital (Paris / France; www.latour-capital.fr) and investment bank Bpifrance (Paris; www.bpifrance.fr) for an enterprise value of EUR 220m.

With annual sales of around EUR 330m, the divested environment business employs 1,800 people across 12 countries. The division has six plants in France, Germany and Spain as well as a recently inaugurated customer service centre in Saint-Priest / France. Plastic Omnium will be focusing entirely on its automotive business.

The French group is starting a partnership on the development of lightweight plastic and metal vehicle doors with its competitor Brose (Coburg / Germany; www.brose.com). The companies have opened a joint project office in Nuremberg / Germany, says Brose. Plastic Omnium has expertise in the design and manufacture of painted body exterior parts, while Brose is contributing expertise in mechatronics, door and access systems.