EuroWire January 2018

Corporate News

Huber closes $630m sale of silica firm to Evonik

officer. “We thank our silica employees and know their talents and expertise will be highly valued by Evonik.” Huber will continue as usual to serve its HEM customers who use other non-silica materials such as ground calcium carbonate and fire-retardant additives across a broad range of applications. As an expert in developing and manufacturing speciality engineered materials, HEM takes great pride in delivering products and service to its industrial customers worldwide. J M Huber – USA Website : www.huber.com MES solution from DiIT worldwide DiIT AG, a software vendor of manufacturing execution systems (MES) for wiring harness production, has acquired Leoni as a new customer. The company will deploy DiIT’s CAO solution in its worldwide production of wiring harnesses. Automotive supplier Leoni will install the latest version 12 of DiIT’s CAO (Cutting and Assembly Optimisation) solution for the cutting room and manual pre-assembly production areas, with electronic Kanban integrated into the CAO used for both areas. After a successful pilot project at the Serbia site, the company is now launching the new system worldwide. DiIT AG – Germany Website : www.diit.de

THE J M Huber Corporation has completed the sale of the silica business unit of Huber Engineered Materials (HEM) to Evonik Industries AG, a global speciality chemicals company. The $630 million transaction was completed after approvals from the European Commission and other global regulatory bodies, and transfers ownership of the HEM Silica facilities in North America, Europe and Asia to Evonik. Strategically, the transfer of the silica business is advantageous for both companies. Proceeds from the sale will enable Huber to invest and expand its product portfolio in other areas, including potential future acquisitions of speciality chemicals or materials businesses. For Evonik, bringing together the two diverse silica businesses will further improve the company’s value proposition as an integrated global provider, better positioned to serve a broader base of customer needs, particularly in North America and Asia. The silica business has been a fundamental part of Huber for more than 60 years, providing a runway for the company’s global diversification into engineered materials. “The strength of our Huber silica business was built, in part, from the collaborative spirit of our silica employees, who adhere to best practices in environment, health, safety and sustainability, ethical behaviour, respect for people and operational excellence. These guiding principles at Huber are the foundation of our company culture and ability to deliver superb value for our customers,” said Mike Marberry, president and chief executive

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January 2018