English hose makers merge

WINCHESTER, England (June 12)—Hiflex Fluidhandling Group, part of the UniPoly group of companies, has restructured its England-based hydraulic hose and fittings businesses to improve customer service. Under the restructuring, Hiflex Hose of Preston, England; Dunlop Hydraulic Hose of Gateshead, England; and the hydraulic connectors business of Dunlop Hiflex have merged to create a new business unit called Dunlop Hiflex FluidConnectors. Unipoly describes the new entity as one of Europe´s largest manufacturers of hydraulic hoses and fittings, supplying wire-, textile- or aramid-reinforced rubber hose and hose couplings to customers across all industrial sectors. In addition, the assemblies business of Dunlop Hiflex and Dunlop PowerBendÏa rigid tube producerÏare merging under the new Dunlop Hiflex PowerBend banner.