10/20/2008 - Süd-Chemie to acquire specialist for foundry industry filter systems from the Cookson Group

Süd-Chemie AG, Munich, a leading global specialty chemicals company for adsorbents and catalysts, has entered into an agreement with Cookson Group plc, London/UK, to acquire Cookson‘s ceramics filters business, which operates under the name of Hi-Tech. With this, Süd-Chemie rounds off its range of offerings in the area of high-grade foundry chemicals and further expands its leading European position in this attractive market. The purchase price will not be disclosed. Completion of the transaction is conditional, amongst other things, on obtaining regulatory approval from the European Commission. Cookson‘s divestiture of the innovative and profitable filter specialist Hi-Tech was a condition attached to the European Commission‘ anti-trust approval of the acquisition of the ceramic specialist Foseco plc, Tamworth/UK, by Cookson.

Hi-Tech, headquartered in Alfred Station, New York/USA, achieved revenues of 6.4 million euros (pro forma calculation) in the first six months of 2008 in North America, Europe and Asia. For more than 25 years, Hi-Tech has developed and produced fully sintered, reticulated ceramic filters, based on zirconia and alumina, for demanding applications in the foundry industry, particularly for investment casting, steel casting and iron large casting, and is the worldwide leader in these sectors. Filters lower the defect and reject rates in foundry processes by removing impurities from molten metal, for example. Thus, they are a key profit factor for foundry operators. For years now the market for high-quality foundry filters has enjoyed double-digit growth.

Munich, 20 October 2008

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