Semperit completes acquisition of seal maker

Vienna – Semperit AG Holding has completed its acquisition of rubber seal manufacturer Lesser GmbH & Co. KG to strengthen the firm's Semperform rubber seals business.

Together, Semperform and Lesser give the operation a future-oriented portfolio in attractive niche markets, according to Semperit. Financial details were not disclosed.

Leeser complements the existing Semperform business, especially its high quality product portfolio in profiles for windows, doors and facades, according to Thomas Fahnermann, CEO of Semperit AG Holding.

Finalising the transaction means Semperform can serve customers better and opens new markets for the business, a company spokeswoman said. The firm is well positioned in the markets it serves, Fahnermann added.

Established in 1968, Leeser operates two production plants in Dusseldorf, Germany. It has a work force of about 200 and primarily serves the Western European market and the region of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

With the acquisition of the rubber seal maker complete, the companies said they can leverage their binding know-how, principally in the area of high frequency technology.

Semperform's plant in Deggendorf, Germany, will continue to be the operation's center for PVC window profiles, the spokeswoman said. The facilities near Dusseldorf will focus on rubber and co-extruded gaskets used for aluminum windows and facades, she said.

Lesser had sales of about $40.6 million in 2014.

Semperform is part of Vienna-based Semperit's industrial sector and has been building its operation via acquisitions and organically for the last two years. In late 2014, it began investing about $8.7 million to modernize its Wimpassing plant in lower Austria.

About $50 million has been spent to improve and modernize the facility between 2012 and 2015.