Altana signs deal to buy Oyten, Germany-based Aquaprint, maker of coatings for labels and varnishes for paper, paperboard, foils

Liling Tan

WESEL, Germany , March 22, 2010 (press release) – The specialty chemicals Group ALTANA has signed an agreement to acquire the business of Aquaprint GmbH. The company, which is based in Oyten, Lower Saxony, Germany, primarily produces coatings for in-mold labels and other labels as well as water-borne overprint varnishes for use on paper, cardboard, and foils. By way of an asset deal, ALTANA mainly acquires Aquaprint’s customers and know-how, as well as its machinery, plants, and inventories. Within the ALTANA Group, Aquaprint will be incorporated into the ACTEGA Coatings & Sealants division, where it will be fully integrated into ACTEGA Terra GmbH, Lehrte.

“Bolt-on acquisitions like Aquaprint make an important contribution to further consolidate the position of ALTANA in attractive and fast-growing niche markets“, stated Dr. Matthias Wolfgruber, CEO of ALTANA AG. He pointed out that the field of packaging with its strong end-user orientation and high resistance to crises is an important market of the future for ALTANA to further optimize the company’s product portfolio.

“Through the acquisition of the business of Aquaprint we strengthen ACTEGA’s position with coatings and printing inks, in particular in the field of packaging“, said Dr. Guido Forstbach, President Division Coatings & Sealants. He continued that the newly acquired business could be excellently integrated into the existing graphic arts activities and that it underlined ACTEGA‘s role as a leading, innovative supplier of solutions for the printing and packaging industry.

About ALTANA:

ALTANA develops and produces high-quality innovative products in the specialty chemicals business. The ALTANA Group, with headquarters in Wesel/Germany, is a genuine “global player” with 84% of its sales generated by international activities. The ALTANA Group has four divisions: BYK Additives & Instruments, ECKART Effect Pigments, ELANTAS Electrical Insulation, and ACTEGA Coatings & Sealants. All of these divisions occupy a leading position in their target markets with respect to quality, product solution expertise, innovation and service.

ALTANA offers innovative, environmentally compatible solutions with the matching specialty products for coating manufactures, paint and plastic processors, the printing and cosmetic industries, and the electrical and electronic industry. The product range includes additives, special coatings and adhesives, effect pigments, sealants and compounds, impregnating resins & varnishes, and testing and measuring instruments.

At present, the ALTANA Group has 35 production facilities and 47 service and research laboratories worldwide. Throughout the group 4,800 people work to ensure the success of ALTANA worldwide. In 2009 ALTANA achieved sales of about 1.2 billion euros. Its impressive earning power and high growth rate make ALTANA one of the most successful and innovative chemical groups worldwide.

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