The Gurit-Heberlein Group (Wattwil / Switzerland; www.gurit.com) has again restructured its composites business. Ahead of the split into two independent companies – see Plasteurope.com Web of 02.02.2006 – the company has raised its minority holding of 20% in IMS (www.ims-plastics.com), which specialises in semi-finished goods for the winter sports market, to 100%. In addition, the company has placed its specialty films business into a 50:50 jv called "Guma". The Italian partner Mazzucchelli (Castiglione Olona / Italy) will look after the operational management of this segment, which no longer ranks among Gurit-Heberlein´s core activities.

Both jv partners have become specialised in high-transparency, non-fogging cellulose film used in sports and safety goggles. Through this cooperation, the two companies want to expand their technical expertise and enable the company to attain the necessary size that will safeguard its future. For the time being, Gurit will consolidate its holding in the business at 50%, but says a complete takeover by Mazzucchelli at a later date is quite conceivable.

From May, manufacture of prepregs at Gurit´s first plant in Magogzu, Canada, will supplement the existing production of structural foams. The expansion of the plant is going according to plan, said a Swiss spokesman. A further expansion phase is scheduled for the summer to meet the local demand for Gurit´s materials in the wind-power and shipbuilding businesses in North and South America.