2017 Year in review: Non-tire firms expand, consolidate

Most of the non-tire sector saw investments, with new plants popping up and new deals that reshaped the landscape of the industry. It wasn’t all growth, though, as some companies pulled back and restructured to set the stage for the future. Here are some of the highlights from the hose, belting and other non-tire areas.

Carlisle makes big splash

A hundred years is a long time, but Carlisle found a way to do something it’s never done before.

The firm made the largest acquisition in its century-long history with its $670 million deal to buy Accella Performance Materials Inc. from its private equity owner Arsenal Capital Partners L.P.

The new Carlisle Construction Materials business unit will bring a $430 million company that operates 10 production sites into the fold, significantly enhancing its presence in the polyurethane spray foam and insulation foam markets.

Accella represented the third major deal for Carlisle’s construction unit in 2017—also adding Drexel Metals Inc. and Arbo Holdings Ltd.

But the Accella deal will bring significant market diversity, also boosting its tire fill division, specialty polyurethane unit and recycled rubber business. Carlisle said it doesn’t plan on divesting any of Accella’s other businesses.

Semperit terminates ventures

Semperit A.G. consolidated on a number of fronts.

In separate moves, the firm terminated joint ventures with Sri Trang-Argo Industry Public Co. Ltd. and Shaw Almax Industries Ltd.

Its ventures with Sri Trang impacted its Sempermed, Semperflex and Semperfoam businesses in the U.S. and Asian regions. The agreement de-merged their large protective glove production joint venture, Siam Sempermed Corp. Ltd., in Thailand amid other moves that brought full ownership of complexes throughout the two regions under Semperit’s umbrella.

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