Semperit selling Italian hose plant to Matec Group

Vienna – Semperit has agreed to sell its hydraulic and industrial hose production plant in Rovago, northern Italy to Matec Group.

The decision to sell the Semperflex unit was made as part of a strategy to reduce complexity, the Austrian rubber engineering group said 17 Dec.

In August, Semperit announced that it was studying the future of the Semperflex Roiter site, in Rovago. This was part of a group-wide restructuring programme launched earlier this year.

The plant produces customised industrial hoses up to a nominal diameter of 609mm. The production unit has sales of around €10 million per year and employs approximately 50 people, Semperit said in a written statement to ERJ.

The company did not disclose the selling price but said it expected the sale to be completed by the yearend.

Post-divestment, Semperflex – the Semperit business unit for industrial hoses – will have production sites in Odry, Czech Republic; Wimpassing, Austria and Shanghai, China and as well as its share in  the Hat Yai joint venture with Sri Trang in Thailand.

In a statement on 17 Dec, Semperit chairman Martin Füllenbach said Roiter no longer ‘fitted’ with Semperflex production footprint, following a recent expansion at the Odry site.

In its comments to ERJ, Semperit said that with the expansion, Semperflex was now focused on large-scale production and that smaller operations such as Roiter did fit its portfolio.

Based in Peschiera Borromeo, near Milan, Italy, the Matec Group supplies flexible composite hoses, expansion joints and related products.