Semi finished deal

Swiss firm Quadrant has signed an agreement with Menasha Corporation to purchase its Poly Hi Solidur business for approximately $82 million.

Poly Hi Solidur, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, operates production facilities in the USA, Germany, France, the UK, Japan and South Africa, and has over 1000 employees worldwide. In 2004, the company posted total sales of $169 million, approximately two-thirds of which were generated in the US.

The company is a leading manufacturer of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) semi-finished products. UHMW-PE products display very high non-stick characteristics similar to Teflon and high resistance to corrosion from chemicals and to abrasive environments such as sand and slurries. In machined and fabricated part form, their uses include applications in material handling, agricultural, power transmission and food processing machinery, as well as in medical devices, shipping and recreational equipment.

Founded in 1970, Menasha Corporation assumed a controlling interest in the company, which was then known as as Poly-Hi, three years later. By the end of 1993, Poly-Hi had expanded its US operations through the purchase of Scranton Plastics Laminating, Scranton, PA., and Solidur Plastics, Delmont, PA, as well as entered the global marketplace via a worldwide alliance/joint venture with Solidur Germany.

The company changed its name to Poly Hi Solidur, and in 1997, it expanded its product line to include power transmission engineered components through the acquisition of Solidur Pacific and became a Menasha subsidiary.