AOC acquires UPR Operations in Czech Republic

15 October 2020

AOC, Kaprain and Spolchemie announce they have reached agreement on AOC acquiring the Unsaturated Polyester Formulation (UPR) manufacturing operations located at the Spolchemie site in Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic). This footprint extension will allow AOC to further improve service and logistics to its customers in Central/ Eastern Europe as well as in Germany, and will make new products (e.g. based on recycled PET) available for customers around Europe.

The UPR plant at the Spolchemie site in Ústí nad Labem (located 70 km Southeast of Dresden, Germany) has already been making formulations for AOC on a contract basis for many years. Besides state-of-the-art UPR production equipment, the plant has unique capabilities for manufacturing green formulations based on recycled PET.

AOC, Kaprain and Spolchemie have signed on 15 October 2020 an agreement to transfer the operations to AOC (to become effective as soon as possible in the 4th quarter of 2020). This acquisition enables AOC to significantly extend its manufacturing footprint, and further adds to the company’s global presence.

“This acquisition will give AOC a major leverage for strengthening our market position in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in Germany. It enables us to ensure continued competitiveness in the region”, explains Joe Salley, CEO of AOC. “The acquisition proves our commitment to this industry, helping us and our customers to build even stronger relationships through supply security and continued technical collaboration.”

“The Ústí operations have been working for AOC already since long time, and supported the company with great service and formulations in sizeable volumes”, adds Romana Benešová, CEO of Kaprain Investment Group. “I am very happy that through this acquisition by AOC we have found a good home for this business, allowing Spolchemie to focus on our core business of chlorinated hydrocarbons and epoxy formulations.”

“AOC has been delivering quality formulations for composites applications for over 50 years, and is recognized for its market leadership in quality and innovation”, comments Stefan Osterwind, AOC Managing Director EMEA. “As a result of this change, AOC can take a stronger ownership of the operations and apply its manufacturing expertise from around the globe. This will also help to strengthen the product portfolio we can offer to the region, including our broad range of specialty formulations. At the same time, the products based on recycled PET will become available to more customers across the European continent.”

About AOC

AOC is the leading global supplier of formulations and specialty materials which enable customers to create robust, durable and versatile products and components. With strong capabilities around the world in both manufacturing and science, the company works closely with customers to deliver unrivaled quality, service and reliability for today, and create innovative solutions for tomorrow. Partner with AOC and we will work together to find the right solutions for your business. AOC, Trusted Solutions

About Kaprain

Kaprain is a well-recognized Czech investment group that was founded in 2013. The group is active in three basic sectors being Industry, Real estate and Finance. Kaprain focus is on projects where it can leverage its broad experience from re-organization and company revitalization. Within the Industry sector, Kaprain already made major investments in Spolchemie, and will continue to further develop this unique chemical company. In addition, investments in Telecommunication are sizeable, and the Real estate sector of the group has been growing remarkably in the past few years.

About Spolchemie

Spolchemie is a leading European producer of specialty epoxy formulations and systems, commodity epoxy formulations, chlorinated hydrocarbons, potassium hydroxide, inorganic derivatives and other chemical products. Its long-standing success and business growth are the result of a solid production footprint with backward integration in key raw materials, and on extensive innovation and R&D capabilities, which have brought the company many patents and certificates. Spolchemie is based in North-Bohemian town of Ústí nad Labem, has been among the World´s oldest chemical producer, with its own history stretching over 160 years. More than 88 % of its production is sold outside the Czech Republic and 75 % into the European market.