W. C. Heraeus Sells Electronic Metal Powder Business in the U.S.

18-Sep-2002

Hanau, Germany, September 18, 2002. W. C. Heraeus GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of the globally active precious metals and technology group Heraeus Holding GmbH, has completed the sales of its Palladium and silver Palladium electronic metal powder business to Cermet Materials Inc. effective September 5, 2002. This business was a minor part of the W. C. Heraeus Circuit Materials Division and was sold to Cermet by Heraeus metals Processing Inc, Santa Fe Springs, CA, a subsidiary of W. C. Heraeus.

Electronic metal powders are used as conductive metallizations in a wide range of passive components such as multilayer ceramic capacitors, resistors, and inductors, as well as in hybrid circuits.

Cermet Materials Inc. is a privately owned company with its headquarters and manufacturing site in Wilmington, DE, and sales offices in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. It has over 18 years of experience in the manufacturing of metal powders and pastes for the passive components industry. It is therefore perfectly positioned to assume responsibility for the HMPI metal powders business and to successfully expand it.

As the business transfer had been carefully planned for months, W. C. Heraeus customers will not be affected by the sale and the relocation of production from HMPI in Santa Fe Springs, CA. to Cermet's Wilmington, DE, manufacturing facility. Production at the Heraeus Metals Processing Inc. plant will cease on October 31, 2002. As of November 1, Cermet Materials will be fully in charge. The majority of the employees have already accepted new positions at Heraeus Metal Processing, Inc.

"The Circuit Materials Division of W. C. Heraeus has two clear core competencies or business units: thick film materials and surface mount materials", said Dr. Ralf Droste, Vice President, Circuit Materials Division, of W. C. Heraeus. "The decision of W. C. Heraeus to withdraw from the merchant electronic metal powder business is the result of an extensive external market and internal portfolio analysis, designed to ensure the business remains focused on our key strategic priorities. While electronic metals powders are not our core business, we will continue to invest and expand in both thick film materials and surface mount materials".

As one of the world market leaders in electronic materials for circuit board assembly, the making of passive components, and the manufacture of ceramic substrates, the Circuit Materials Division of W. C. Heraeus manufactures and markets materials for surface mount technology such as solder pastes, fluxes, adhesives, thick film pastes for hybrid circuits, and components, and ceramic tapes for LTCC technology.

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/14087/w-c-heraeus-sells-electronic-metal-powder-business-in-the-u-s.html