Profile manufacturer Inter Primo (Copenhagen / Denmark; www.primo.com) has acquired the Netherlands-based extrusion business of Essentra (Milton Keynes / UK; www.essentra.com). The acquisition of Essentra Extrusion (Buitenpost; www.essentraextrusion.com) will reinforce the company's market position in Europe, said Inter Primo CEO Claus Tønnesen. The plastics industry is undergoing consolidation and growth is necessary to keep pace with the constantly rising demand, he added.

Inter Primo operates 14 production sites in China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Poland, Russia and Sweden with a total of 1,100 employees. Annual sales are some EUR 150m. Essentra Extrusion, founded in 1938 as bicycle supply company Enitor, has 75 extrusion lines and 200 employees. The company most recently generated sales of EUR 37m and an operating profit of EUR 1.2m. Its previous parent company Essentra wants to use the proceeds of the sale to pep up its balance sheet.