At the end of October 2011, Bayer MaterialScience announced it had agreed to sell its Viverso subsidiary to Nuplex Industries. In December the anti-trust authorities approved the deal.
The sale of Viverso to Nuplex Industries Ltd. for €75 million went through at the end of 2011. The transaction includes the Viverso plant in Bitterfeld and the Viverso business in polyacrylate resins, unsaturated polyesters, alkyd resins as well as selected other product groups that Viverso currently manufactures for Bayer MaterialScience under a toll manufacturing agreement. The Viverso, Roskydal®, Alkydal®, Tungophen® and Resistherm® brands are also included in the sale. Established in 2008 and headquartered in Bitterfeld, Germany, Viverso has a specially developed business model centered on a web-based, highly standardized business model.
Leading manufacturer of polymer resins
Nuplex Industries, a company based in New Zealand and Australia, is a leading independent manufacturer of polymer resins with annual sales of NZ$1.7 bn. From a global manufacturing network of 17 resin plants throughout Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, Nuplex has built a reputation for delivering high-quality, innovative products to a global customer base. Nuplex's commitment to research and development underpins its dedication to finding tailored solutions to customer challenges. In Europe, Nuplex's operations are based in Bergen op Zoom in the Netherlands and London, UK. The purchase of Viverso rounds off Nuplex's current portfolio as a focused resin manufacturer.
Viverso customers not affected
"We intend to continue our collaboration with our customers and our established business model in the future," says Reinhard Kaufung, Viverso's Managing Director. "The combination of Nuplex with its exceptional expertise and Viverso in the fields of technology and innovation will unlock new business opportunities and provide customers with an even broader portfolio of products and solutions."
Focus on more pronounced innovation
By selling Viverso, Bayer MaterialScience is divesting part of its conventional coating resins business since it does not fit in with the company's current growth strategy. Bayer MaterialScience is concentrating on products and application areas characterized by a more pronounced focus on innovation – the manufacturing of high-tech polymer materials and the development of solutions targeted at the automotive, electrical, electronics, construction or furniture industry.
