Kickstart: Investing in staycation molding

When the pandemic shut down most travel plans, Americans put money into their homes. Spending on "staycation" projects included new investments in decks, spas and pools.

Now the staycation industry is prompting business deals. Spain's Fluidra SA has inked a deal to buy Custom Molded Products (CMP) of Newnan, Ga., for $245 million to jump-start its business in spa components.

CMP makes a lot of components used in pools and spas, such as lighting, jets and skimmers, using both plastics and metal. It's expecting sales to soar 12-15 percent in 2021.

Catherine Kavanaugh has more on the deal.

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is adding seating into its holdings with the acquisition of a joint venture with Adient in China.

Yanfeng and Adient have a long history. Both were once part of Johnson Controls Inc., but when JCI wanted out of the auto interiors business, it sold off the business, first with joint venture partner Yanfeng of Shanghai taking over hard trim parts such as instrument panels and center consoles, then with the seating business spun off into Adient.

Now Yanfeng is buying out Adient's China business, which had been a joint venture for the companies through Yanfeng Adient Seating Co. Ltd. Yanfeng will pay $1.5 billion.

This is a huge business. YFAS has 16,000 employees and 55 seat manufacturing facilities, a technical center and a headliner business, JARC.

Yanfeng's holdings cover plastic processing, including injection molding plants located in every global auto production region. With the change in China, Yanfeng will employ 55,000 employees worldwide.

Barbie's "bestie" Ken turns 60 this year, and he still isn't showing a single wrinkle or gray hair on his injection molded head.

To mark the anniversary, toymaker Mattel Inc. is offering retro-style Ken dolls dressed in the same outfits the original Ken wore when he was introduced in 1961. The throwback beach outfit and sandals "are perfect for stepping into beach and poolside stories," Mattel says.

Unlike the first Ken, this generation's toys are available with multiple skin tones and hair styles.