J.M. Huber Corporation, through its Huber Engineered Materials (HEM) division, announces today it has acquired the Martinswerk business of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB). The Martinswerk portfolio is now officially part of the Fire Retardant Additives (FRA) business unit of HEM.
“This strategic acquisition is well aligned with HEM’s FRA business unit – both from a product and geographic standpoint”
Huber’s largest acquisition in over 10 years, the transaction includes Martinswerk’s manufacturing facility in Bergheim, Germany, more than 470 employees and the following product lines:
- Martinal® precipitated and ground alumina trihydrate
- Magnifin® premium precipitated magnesium hydroxide
- A variety of specialty chemical products:
- Martifin® specialty hydrates for paper
- Martoxid® aluminum oxide primarily for ceramics
- Pergopak® flatting agents and carrier additives
- Compalox® granulated activated alumina
“This strategic acquisition is well aligned with HEM’s FRA business unit – both from a product and geographic standpoint,” explains Jerry Bertram, Vice President and General Manager of HEM’s Fire Retardant Additive business. “It builds on our existing halogen-free fire retardant offerings and expands the range of products we can provide to customers around the world.”
To ensure a smooth integration, HEM is retaining the current management team at Martinswerk. The FRA business unit will be structured in a regional model with a General Manager operating out of Europe.
The Martinswerk acquisition builds on Huber’s 34 year history of supplying fire retardants and smoke suppressants. It marks the latest in a series of investments in the FRA business by Huber, including the acquisition of the Kemgard® product line from Sherwin-Williams in 2010 and the purchase of the assets of the specialty hydrates business from Almatis in 2012. In 2015, Huber purchased the Safire® nitrogen and phosphorous flame retardant technology from Floridienne Group and Catena Additives.
Says Bertram, “Bringing together our long-term experience in fire retardant additives with the product lines from Martinswerk broadens our portfolio of environmentally-friendly fire retardant additives for use across multiple applications, including carpet backing, fiber reinforced plastics, roofing, silicone rubber and wire and cable.” He adds, “This addition truly makes FRA a global business.”
