business & market news
14
Tube Products International May 2013
Westlake acquires PVC pipe, fittings and
foundations business
Westlake Chemical Corporation has
entered into a definitive agreement with
CertainTeed Corporation, a subsidiary
of the Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, to
purchase its Pipe and Foundation Group
(PFG), a producer of PVC pipe and
fittings for municipal, water well, mining,
agriculture and irrigation applications.
The sale is for a purchase price of $175mn
in cash, including $22mn of working
capital, with closing adjustments. The
transaction is expected to close in the
second quarter of 2013, subject to
standard closing conditions, including
regulatory review. The PFG acquisition
includes the PVC pipe, fittings,
profiles and foundations business and
associated operating facilities in Lodi,
California, and McPherson, Kansas, with
production capacity of approximately
150mn pounds per year. Westlake will
also acquire technologies and intellectual
properties for the production of a number
of specialised products, including Certa-
Lok
®
restrained joint pipe and Yelomine™
branded products for a variety of end
market applications.
“The acquisition of CertainTeed’s PFG
business is an excellent strategic fit for
Westlake,” commented Albert Chao,
Westlake’s president and CEO. “When
completed, it will enhance our North
American pipe and building products
portfolio by adding speciality product
lines and supporting technology that
we do not currently have. These new
products, technologies and a broader
market reach will increase our ability
to service our customers’ needs and
further differentiate the value of our
vinyls integration strategy. CertainTeed
is known as a well-run solutions-
orientated company with talented
people and we look forward to adding
this workforce to our team.”
Westlake Chemical Corporation
–
USA
Mosque shaped by expert benders
Barnshaw Section Benders has been
contracted by App Steel Structures to
carry out work on the Al Emaan Mosque.
The bending work involved forming of
the main frame ribs and curving the
support steelwork in two planes (canted).
The company received the structural
project due to its
technical
expertise
of ‘canting’ the 100 x
60 RHS and mandrel
forming of 200 x 100 RHS
to minimise distortion.
Barnshaws supplied the
mosque with 200 x 100
x 6.3 RHS and 100 x
60 x 3 RHS, which were
approximately 4 tons.
Established in 1969, Barnshaw Section
Benders is based at six manufacturing
sites around the UK, located in the West
Midlands, Manchester and Hamilton,
Scotland. Across these sites over 120
specialist machines are housed, and
have provided steel bending services
for some of the country’s largest
projects, including shopping centres,
football stadiums, airports and the
Olympics.
Barnshaw Section Benders Ltd
– UK
Barnshaws carried out forming
of the main frame ribs and
curving of the support steelwork
PIPE at Schweissen & Schneiden 2013
PIPE Ltd has been a regular exhibitor at
the Schweissen & Schneiden Exhibition
for over a decade. Due to the growth
of the event, together with the growth
of the company, PIPE Ltd will be
showcasing its entire product range on
a 98m
2
stand at this year’s show.
Since 1990, PIPE Ltd has grown into a
major supplier of pre-fabrication tools
and equipment for the pipe and plate
welding and fabrication industries,
including oil and gas, petrochemical,
nuclear, pharmaceutical, food, water and
dairy. Originally established to supply
the UK with pipe cutting, bevelling and
clamping solutions, PIPE soon realised
that welders and fabricators wanted a
one-stop shop for all their needs.
This led the company into the field
of manufacturing, releasing the E-Z
Fit range of pipe welding alignment
clamps, together with a comprehensive
range of pipe stands and supports,
including the Tri-Stand, Duo Stand and
Quattro Stand, offering safe solutions
for the support and handling of all types
of pipe and plate, whether on-site or in
the workshop.
With the increase of use of exotic
materials such as stainless steel
and Duplex for pipe installations in
certain industries, the need for high
quality, oxide-free welds has become
increasingly necessary. This has led
PIPE into the manufacturing of a range of
pipe purging systems and accessories,
to enable the rapid removal of oxygen
from the weld root.
Prestige Industrial Pipework
Equipment Ltd
– UK
