TAYLOR, MICH. - Taylor-based automotive supplier MascoTech Inc. has bought an Elkhart, Ind., vacuum former that serves the light truck and sport utility vehicle aftermarket, Plastic Form Inc. Plastic Form's 52,000-square-foot plant makes acrylic and polycarbonate accessories such as hood protectors and side rails. The vacuum former will become part of MascoTech's Aftermarket Group.
The sale was announced Oct. 25. Terms were not disclosed.
MascoTech makes a diverse range of automotive products, such as metal components for engines, transmissions, axles, chassis and suspension systems. The company also supplies engineering and design services. Information on the size of Plastic Form's vacuum forming operation was not available.
PARIS - Paris-based consumer packaging giant CarnaudMetalbox has agreed to sell its flexible packaging division to a Danish flexible packaging group.
Danisco SA of Copenhagen said its purchase of Carnaud-Metalbox Flexible depends on satisfactory completion of an environmental investigation. The purchase would make Danisco a leader in the European flexible packaging market, with sales of about 2 billion kroner ($364 million).
CMB Flexible makes multilayer plastic, aluminum and paper packaging materials primarily for the food packaging industry, and had sales in 1994 of 617 French francs ($123.4 million). Danisco said about 85 percent of CMB Flexible's sales come from France, with 10 percent in Portugal and 5 percent in Spain.
CMB Flexible has four production plants in France and one each in Spain and Portugal. The firm employs about 700.
The parent firm, Carnaud-Metalbox, is one of the largest packaging companies in the world, with estimated 1995 sales of about $5 billion. The company's main products are metal cans and rigid plastic containers, in the food, beverage and health and beauty markets. It now is locked in the merger process with U.S. packaging giant Crown Cork and Seal Co. of Philadelphia. The deal will create the world's largest packaging firm.
Marley acquiring Pacific Dunlop unit
SEVENOAKS, ENGLAND-Marley plc of Sevenoaks plans to double the size of its plastics operations in Australia and New Zealand by buying Pacific Dunlop Ltd.'s Plastics Group for 21.6 million (US$34.1 million).
The plastics group makes vinyl and other thermoplastic compounds and has proprietary and custom extrusion and injection molding operations making building profiles and moldings, hoses, ducting and auto components. The group had sales of 42.7 million (US$67.5 million) and profit of 4 million (US$6.3 million) for the year ended June 30.
Marley extrudes vinyl building products, plastic plumbing systems, profiles and tubing, and compounds vinyl in New Zea-land. It claimed in a news release that the deal will make it one of the four largest plastic components firms in the region.
Marley's main plastics businesses are plumbing and building supplies and auto parts, including Marley Mouldings Inc. of Marion, Va. It also makes concrete and clay building products. Earlier this year it bought plastic casual furniture producer Sy-roco Inc. of East Boston, Mass.
Marley's global plastic building supplies sales last year were 311.6 million (US$492.3 million) and its auto parts sales were 82.2 million (US$129.9 million), vs. total sales of 661.5 million (US$1.5 billion).
SLM International files for Chapter 11
NEW YORK - Sporting goods producer SLM International Inc. filed for bankruptcy Oct. 24, 31/2 months after selling its Buddy L Inc. toy subsidiary.
SLM of New York voluntarily filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In its 10Q form it said its loss from continuing operations for six months ended July 1 was $19.6 million on sales of $69 million. SLM makes and markets in-line and ice skates, sports equipment and licensed sports apparel. Its major skate plant is in Beauport, Quebec.
Empire of Carolina Inc. of Delray Beach, Fla., bought Buddy L on July 7. It plans to relocate production of plastic toys and novelty items from three Buddy L plants near Albany, N.Y., to its Tarboro, N.C., facility, which Empire is expanding to 1.5 million square feet.
