Nov 12 2004
Kuraray Co., Ltd. has signed a contract with Rütgers AG (“Rütgers”), Germany, to acquire Polyvinyl Butyral (“PVB”) film business (the “Business”) of HT Troplast AG, a subsidiary of Rütgers.
The Business, located in Troisdorf (near Bonn), Germany, has 13% share of the global market of interlayer films for *safety laminated glass, and seats in a leading position especially in the field of architectural application in Europe. This transaction is consistent with Kuraray’s strategy to focus on and expand the “Vinyl Acetate Chemical Chains Business” consisting of PVA, EVOH, EVAL, PVA fiber (KURALON, KURALON K-II) ,PVA film and so on, which is one of the core businesses of Kuraray.
In line with this strategy, at the end of 2001, Kuraray acquired PVA and PVB businesses of Clariant AG, Germany. Those businesses are now operated by Kuraray Specialities Europe GmbH (“KSE”), which was founded for the succession of those businesses. In August 2003, KSE started the expansion of its PVA plant in order to meet the growing market demand and developed applications in Europe.
There is a fifty-year commercial relationship between HT Company’s PVA film business and KSE’ s PVB resin business. This transaction is deemed as a business development towards the downstream of the ” Vinyl Acetate Chemical Chains Business”, which will enable Kuraray to establish a consistent production flow from PVA resin to PVB resin and PVB film. Furthermore, through integrated operation of research and development activities and realization of synergy effects brought by this transaction, Kuraray will take proper actions to respond to the diversified needs in the growing architectural and automotive safety laminated glass industries in Europe, United States and Asia, with a purpose to achieve meddle and long term business expansion.
Trough this transaction, Kuraray as a global leader in “Vinyl Acetate Chemical Chains Business”, will accelerate the expansion and development in the world market by organic collaboration among Japan, Asia and Europe as well as the increase of its presence in European market.
The transaction is subject to formal approval by the competent authorities.
For more information on PVB, click here.