Owens Corning recently announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the glass non-wovens and fabrics businesses of Ahlstrom, a fiber-based materials company headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, for €73 million ($79.5 million). The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is anticipated to close in the first half of 2016. 

“The planned acquisition of Ahlstrom’s glass non-wovens and fabrics businesses is a winning combination for our customers, our markets, and our employees,” said Arnaud Genis, group president of Owens Corning’s Composite Solutions Business. “This is a highly complementary acquisition that will provide new revenue, technology, talent, and access to markets. The addition of these businesses demonstrates Owens Corning’s commitment to capital efficient growth in its composites business, while at the same time creating scale for investments in new technology and capacity to help our customers grow.”  

“We are happy to have found Owens Corning as the buyer, as it’s vertically integrated and has ample resources to develop the glass fiber business further,” said Marco Levi, president and CEO of Ahlstrom. “We also believe this is a good solution for the unit’s employees transferring to the new owner.” 

The assets to be acquired by Owens Corning reportedly include operations in Karhula and Mikkeli, Finland, and Tver, Russia. Collectively, the facilities employ approximately 260 people and reported 2014 sales of €77 million ($85 million). The operations in Karhula and Tver produce glass non-wovens, primarily for flooring applications, and the facility in Mikkeli produces fabrics, primarily for the wind energy market. 

For more information, visit www.owenscorning.com.