CLEVELAND - Parker Hannifin Corp. has purchased a German hose maker that brings Parker one U.S. and two European plants and technology to make products for high-pressure applications. The Cleveland firm paid an undisclosed amount for Polyflex Schwarz Group, which Parker described as the leading European manufacturer of thermoplastic elastomer and thermoplastic hose.
Polyflex has a plant at its Rogan & Shanley subsidiary in Houston, another at its headquarters in Huttenfeld, Germany, and a third factory in Wissembourg, France.
Polyflex said it employs 225 and posted about $28 million in 1994 sales.
The German firm manufactures reinforced high- and ultrahigh-pressure hoses, hose fittings and assemblies for diverse markets such as industrial hydraulics and pneumatics, paint spraying, coal mining, high-pressure pipe cleaning, lubricating, water-jet cutting, instrumentation and control cables.
Polyflex will become part of Parker Hannifin's Parflex Division. The companies both manufacture TPE and thermoplastic hose.
Mark Kugelman, marketing manager for Parflex, said Polyflex has proprietary technology that will be integrated into Parflex operations, including hose manufacturing units in Ravenna, Ohio; Mansfield, Texas; and Littlehampton, England.
Parker Hannifin said Polyflex's management and work force will remain the same.