Georg Fischer

The plastics industry continues to work in a state of emergency / Slumps in demand, cheap imports and ever-new regulations make life difficult for producers and processors / Producers on the other side of the Atlantic also face more difficulties

Uponor takeover finalised

Aliaxis agrees to share purchase offer / Uponor takeover inches closer

Pipe manufacturer cuts sales outlook, raises profit forecast / Margin losses in European business

Rival bid from Georg Fischer gets nod from Uponor board, shareholders / Pipe maker valued at EUR 2.1 bn / Aliaxis withdraws offer

Recovery stronger than expected / Optimism high in plastics industry / Volume off 5% in 2020 / Recycling gains momentum / Problems with EU agreement suggests trouble

Mónica de la Cruz elected vice-president of European pipe association / 218,000 t of recycled plastics used in new piping systems

Expansion in Brazil with acquisition of HDPE pipe manufacturer FGS

Pipe manufacturer acquires US service provider for cruise ship refits

Acquisition of a stake in Urecon in Canada / Takeover of commercial and operative management

Joost Geginat becomes new division head / Pietro Lori to retire in late July

Eye on the world: A journey from Brazil to China, from Russia to Italy / Challenges experienced by most countries

Tension surrounding Swiss franc eases somewhat / Longer working week suspended

Plastics sector recovers slightly in 2014 / Rise in revenues and processed volumes put an end to previous downtrend / Recovery short-lived / Franc revaluation brakes economic development

Switzerland's largest injection moulding machine now in operation / Producing large-volume pipe fittings for public water supply

Swiss film producer announces drastic salary cuts / Workforce on strike

Longer working hours to raise productivity / Response to Swiss franc's revaluation

Acquisition of majority stake at Turkish piping manufacturer Hakan Plastik

GF Piping Systems lands huge order from Australian mining group

EU authorities raid offices of several producers on suspicion of illegal price fixing / Tessenderlo, Pipelife and Wavin searched

GF Piping Systems contributes to development of first algae production bioreactors / High-performance system demonstrated at Achema 2012

Acquisition of US pipe producer Harvel Plastics / Expanding global piping business

Renewed expansion in China / Two new plants inaugurated

Plastics industry sees across-the-board recovery in 2010 / Processing volume up 10% to 910,000 t / Pre-crisis levels nearly reached / Improved productivity / Swiss association forecasts stable business

Tenth pipe production plant inaugurated in China