Praxair Completes Purchase of Tafa Group
9 December 1999
Praxair Completes Purchase of Tafa Group
INDIANAPOLIS--Dec. 8, 1999--Praxair, Inc. announced today that Praxair's wholly-owned subsidiary, Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc., has completed its acquisition of the TAFA Group, formerly a unit of Eutectic+Castolin. The TAFA Group consists of TAFA Incorporated, TAFA Europe, and TAFA Material Technologies. Terms were not disclosed.TAFA is a leading international supplier of thermal spray technologies, equipment and products to the aircraft, automotive, and general industrial markets. With annual sales of US$ 34 million and 125 employees, TAFA operates facilities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South America. TAFA also has distributors in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
"TAFA will provide additional capabilities and products to those we added with the purchase of Miller Thermal in 1996," said Praxair Surface Technologies' president Thomas W. von Krannichfeldt. "Combined with the portfolio of thermal spray powders, equipment and global coatings technology resources, we now have one of the strongest and most complete offerings of any company in the industry."
According to von Krannichfeldt, the newly acquired facilities will be managed as part of the company's thermal spray products business, headed by Tim Moser, general manager.
Praxair Surface Technologies is a service-based business, and a leading worldwide supplier of coating services and thermal spray powders, equipment, and other consumables to customers in aircraft, computer, optical, printing, plastics, primary metals, and textiles industries. It also provides engine and airframe component repair services for both commercial and military aircraft. During the past 5 years, the company has made 17 acquisitions in thermal spray and related surface treatment markets, and experienced double-digit growth rates in sales. Total annual revenue in 1998 for Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc. exceeded US$ 420 million.
Praxair Inc., parent company of Praxair Surface Technologies, is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 1998 sales of $4.8 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric and process gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technology bring productivity and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, food and beverage, healthcare, electronics, steel, chemicals and refining, metal fabrication, water treatment, glass and others. For more information, visit Praxair on the Internet at www.praxair.com or www.tafa.com.