AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS – March 28, 2013 – ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Material Technology announces the acquisition of leading US composite lab, Delsen Testing Laboratories, a move which significantly strengthens ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s position within the fast-growing aerospace composite testing market.
The purchase of Delsen, based in Glendale, California, further adds to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s capabilities and expertise in the commercial aerospace, power generation and transport industries, with the vast majority of Delsen’s activity falling within aerospace.
The acquisition follows ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s recent major investment in developing advanced facilities to test ceramic matrix composites, a material capable of dramatically increasing fuel efficiency in the next generation of aerospace engines.
Charles Noall, President and CEO of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, said: “The primes are focusing their R&D budgets increasingly towards composite materials. As a result, the purchase of one of the most highly regarded composite testing laboratories in America marks a considerable step in ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s strategy to become a market-leader in aerospace materials testing services, as well as the world’s largest dedicated materials testing provider.
“Delsen is Nadcap approved and holds a number of major aerospace prime approvals; it also holds an excellent overall reputation for quality, expertise, and knowledge, making it an ideal addition to the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Group’s existing capabilities.
“We envision Delsen becoming a ‘centre of excellence’ in aerospace composite materials testing. The facility will enable ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ to shorten lead times, increase productivity and extend our capability. With composites continuing to replace traditional metal applications in a variety of sectors, this acquisition sets ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ at the forefront of a fast-growing, rapidly evolving industry.”
The purchase of Delsen by ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ follows a number of significant acquisitions in the last fifteen months, including one of America’s largest independent materials testing businesses, Sherry Laboratories, headquartered in Daleville, Indiana. Other transactions include MAR-TEST of Cincinnati, Ohio, Detroit Testing Laboratories of Warren, Michigan, and UK-based polymer engineering and testing specialists MERL.
About ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ is a company with a global presence; its laboratories are staffed by experts specializing in materials testing, product qualification testing and failure analysis for the Aerospace, Oil & Gas and Transportation and Industrials sectors. ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s team of 1,600 scientists, engineers and technicians work in 45 facilities located throughout the U.S. and Europe. For a complete list of Accreditations & Approvals and more information, please visit www.element.com.
Media Contact
Alison Dwyer or Matthew Judge, Smith & Smith PR Ltd., tel: +44 161 927 9487, email: ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½@smithandsmithpr.co.uk.