BASF sells ABS specialty 'Ronfalin' to British Vita unit

30 May 2003 10:03  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (CNI)--BASF said Friday it has sold its acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS) specialty trademark Ronfalin to JGP Perrite, a unit of British Vita's subsidiary Vita Thermoplastic Compounds.

The transaction will take effect from 1 June, German chemicals group BASF said today, without disclosing the financial details.

The DSM plant in Geleen, the Netherlands that has been producing Ronfalin for BASF will be closed at the end of May as originally scheduled. BASF acquired the Ronfalin business from Dutch chemicals firm DSM in 1999 and continued to have the product manufactured in Geleen.

Wilfried Haensel, head of the European styrenic polymers business at BASF, said: “The sale of the Ronfalin trademark is part of our strategy of focusing on large-volume, standard ABS products. We will be able to strengthen our position in this sector even further with the new plant that is currently being built in Antwerp.”

UK thermoplastic compounder JGP Perrite, which has been manufacturing Ronfalin under licence from BASF since October 2001, said the purchase complements Vita Thermoplastic Compounds' existing compounding activities, which encompass ABS, polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), polyamide and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

JGP Perrite currently makes Ronfalin in Warrington, UK but has recently opened a factory in Malaysia to develop sales in the Asian market.

By: Russell Ong
+44 208 652 3214

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