Dec 22 2005
Hydro has agreed to acquire the business of Alulift, a Czech company offering aluminium fabricated products to the Czech and eastern European markets.
Alulift adds value to aluminium extrusions through mechanical fabrication, specialising in robot welding and so-called CNC milling. It also has a niche market in ready-made radar antennae.
The company has 65 employees and is located in Tišice-Chrást, close to Prague in Czech Republic. Its business will be fully integrated into Hydro from January 4, 2006.
The business is acquired by the newly established Hydro Aluminium Prague s. r. o., an expansion of Hydro Aluminium Komponenten, Austria. The management and owners of Alulift will continue in management positions in the new Hydro company.
“The new business will provide a further bridgehead for expansion of sales into eastern Europe and will add technical competence,” said Christian Bilgeri, head of Hydro's Extrusion North unit. “This is a very good supplement to our new extrusion press in Poland.”
“We are convinced that Hydro is the ideal home for our business and we are proud to be part of a 100-year old company with Norwegian roots,” said Raimund Bastian on behalf of the sellers.
In November Hydro commissioned a new extrusion press in its plant in Chrzanow, Poland. The Hydro expansion in the Czech Republic is a further step in building Hydro’s position in the fast-growing new EU member states.