TPI July 2012

business & market news

Wienerberger to acquire Solvay’s stake in Pipelife

added Jacques van Rijckevorsel, group general manager of the plastics sector and member of the executive committee of Solvay Group. Wienerberger AG – Austria communications@wienerberger.com www.wienerberger.com

“Twenty two years ago Solvay and Wienerberger founded Pipelife in order to support a transition from concrete and metal pipes for water transportation to plastic pipes and build a market leader,” said Dominique Clerbois, executive vice president at Solvay Group. “Thanks to the excellent collaboration with Wienerberger this project became a great success with both targets met.” “The Group will use the proceeds from the sale of this plastic processing business to pursue its strategy of sustainable and profitable growth and focus on more strategic activities,”

Solvay and Wienerberger have signed a binding agreement for the sale of Solvay’s 50% stake in Pipelife, a leading supplier of plastic pipe systems, to Wienerberger. Solvay will receive €172mn in cash for the shares, including a special dividend of €10mn. For Solvay the deal represents an enterprise value of around €257mn for its 50% stake when taking into account assumption of liabilities, including pensions and other debt-like items, for about €85mn. The closing was expected in the second quarter of 2012, after obtaining the usual antitrust authorisations.

Solvay – Belgium webmaster@solvay.com www.solvay.com

Pipelife International GmbH – Austria info@pipelife.com www.pipelife.com

Jumbo HSS products for North America Atlas Tube, a division of JMC Steel Group, has partnered with Nippon Steel & Sumikin Metal Products Co, Ltd (NSMP) and Mitsui & Co Ltd to supply hollow structural sections (HSS) to the North American market. The ‘Jumbo’ HSS sizes, which were not originally available in North America, range from 18" to 22" square, and up to 0.875" wall thickness. Atlas Tube will market and distribute these products throughout North America. members of large, long-span trusses, the Jumbo HSS sections offer an alternative to open sections and built-up, welded box sections used in structures with a high load demand. “Now structural engineers have a choice,” commented David Seeger, president of JMC Steel Group. “These products offer improved functional performance and flexibility for engineers who design structures of all types and sizes.”

and timely manner,” said Bradlee Fletcher, structural engineer for Atlas Tube. “Readily available Jumbo HSS will be another option for engineers to do just that, especially for structures with large load demands such as ones in high seismic areas.” In Japan, HSS is commonly used for column applications in multi-storey commercial buildings, as well as parking garages. HSS is effective against seismic loads, which was proven during the earthquake in Japan in the spring of 2011. Atlas Tube has been manufacturing HSS for over three decades, in sizes from 1" to 20" round, up to 16" square, and up to 20" x 12" rectangles. The company has five state-of-the- art production facilities, in Chicago, Illinois; Plymouth, Michigan; Blytheville, Arkansas; Harrow, Ontario; and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its steel tubing products are used in demanding applications including commercial and industrial building columns, solar support structures, sports stadiums, bridges, mobile construction equipment, railcars and oil rigs.

“As an engineer, you want all the tools at your disposal to effectively solve design challenges in a cost-effective

Typically used in vertical column and diagonal bracing applications and as

Atlas Tube’s new Jumbo HSS ranges from 18" to 22" square and up to 0.875" wall thickness

Atlas Tube – USA/Canada sales@atlastube.com www.atlastube.com

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Tube Products International July 2012

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