MANSFIELD, Texas (Feb. 9)—Solvay Engineered Polymers has acquired Thermoplastic Rubber Systems Inc., a Shirley, Mass.-based supplier of thermoplastic elastomer compounds, to strengthen its presence in the global market for thermoplastic vulcanizates.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Solvay Engineered Polymers, part of Belgium's Solvay S.A., has held an option to buy TRS since June 2002 when it acquired rights to market TRS' Nexprene-branded products to the automotive industry in Europe and North America.
TRS' Shirley facility houses three twin-screw compounding lines with a combined annual capacity of up to 18 million pounds. TRS president Jonas Angus will be general manager of Solvay's TPV business unit, Solvay said.
The acquisition is part of Solvay's strategy to enhance its presence in niche areas of the 100,000-metric-ton global TPV market and to offer a broader range of automotive solutions. The Solvay unit already is a leading supplier of thermoplastic polyolefins to the automotive sector.