EuroWire March 2020

Corporate News

Capacity expansion nearing completion

Martin Schulting, managing director of Huber’s Martinswerk FRA business unit in EMEAI. “We are proud that our engineering and operations teams will complete such a large and complex project on time.” The Martinal LEO fine precipitated alumina hydrate grades are claimed to offer superior processing properties, and serve as the company’s global product platform for its customers. Huber is a major producer of alumina trihydrate and magnesium hydroxide non-halogenated fire retardants. Its FRA business unit has four manufacturing sites in North America and two in Europe.

THE Fire Retardant Additives (FRA) business unit of Huber Engineered Materials has announced that its fine precipitated hydrate (FPH) phase-two capacity expansion project, which was approved in March 2018, is close to completion. The substantial investment will increase FPH production capacity, at the Martinswerk plant in Germany, for high-quality Martinal® LEO grades by about 20 per cent. The expansion project represents the largest investment made over the last 40 years at the site, and will also result in the delivery of several sustainability improvements (including water reduction), in line with company objectives. “This investment underlines the commitment towards our customers to support their growth and our strategy to grow and strengthen our global halogen-free fire retardant business,” said

Huber Engineered Materials www.hubermaterials.com

International Wire Group acquires Owl International Wire Group (IWG) has acquired Owl Wire and Cable from Marmon Holdings, Inc. Owl is a producer of high-volume, heavy bare and tinned wire with operations in the US state of New York. Founded in 1954 as a family-owned business, Owl has been a leader in copper wire for over six decades. IWG is a major bare copper wire and copper wire products manufacturer in the USA, with operations in Europe. With broad manufacturing and in-house engineering capabilities, IWG’s skilled and experienced workforce offers a robust and mission-critical product portfolio to suppliers, distributors and OEMs. The company serves customers across the industrial and energy, electronics and data communications, aerospace and defence, medical products, automotive, and consumer and appliance industries. “This new partnership is a ‘win-win’ for the loyal customers and workforces of both IWG and Owl, and for the communities we are privileged to serve,” said IWG president and CEO Greg Smith. “By integrating Owl’s manufacturing capabilities and superior customer service into our already market-leading company, we will create a unique platform to serve current and future customers. “The new IWG will continue to deliver high-quality, precise wire and cable products for mission-critical applications that power our global economy. We know the Owl team well, and are thrilled to welcome them to IWG.”

James Johnson joins Davis-Standard as regional sales manager

Davis-Standard has announced that James Johnson has joined the company as regional sales manager, sheet and foam, for the Southeast region of the USA. He will support customer sales and service in several states, including collaboration with customers to assess equipment needs and requirements, support of product engineering, equipment upgrades, cost assessment and production strategies. Mr Johnson previously worked at Polymer Systems, Inc, where he was a sales engineer. Prior to that, he was with Shurtape Technologies. Mr Johnson is a graduate of East Carolina University and holds a yellow belt in Lean Six Sigma. He will be based in Hickory, North Carolina. Davis-Standard designs, develops and distributes extrusion and converting technology. Its systems encompass more than ten product lines to support manufacturing applications and customers within major industries, including agriculture, automotive, construction, healthcare, energy, electronics, food and beverage

▲ ▲ James Johnson

packaging, and retail. The company has manufacturing and technical facilities in the USA, Canada, China, Germany, Finland, Switzerland and the UK.

Davis-Standard, LLC www.davis-standard.com

Elantas bolsters India business Elantas, a division of the speciality chemicals group Altana, is acquiring the wire enamels activities of Hubergroup India, to grow its business in India. The products taken over will be manufactured at the Ankleshwar production site of Elantas Beck India Ltd. Elantas products are insulating materials for the electrical and electronics industry. They are found in electric motors, cars, TV sets, wind turbines and computers. Innovations in the wire enamels segment enable product developers to build smaller and more efficient electric units such as motors and generators, saving materials and energy.

International Wire Group www.internationalwiregroup.com

Elantas

www.elantas.com

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March 2020