PE aluminium, iron works in German hands

GERMAN-based foundry company Halberg Guss has officially acquired all shares in Murray and Roberts Foundries, including ferrous and aluminium foundries in Port Elizabeth. The acquisition became official in June and includes the company‘s aluminium and machining interests in Port Elizabeth and the ferrous foundries in Port Elizabeth and Brits. These foundries have “successfully supplied various automotive components to the global market‘s OEMs for many year” the company said in a statement released last week. The Murray and Roberts Foundries have produced parts for both Ford RoCam and Volkswagen. From 2003, many of their facilities underwent upgrades to bring them up to a global standard. A total of R26-million was spent on the upgrading of the Port Elizabeth Alucast plant 2, in 2004. A new $13-million (R91-million) aluminium head foundry was built in Port Elizabeth in 2002 to support the Ford engine export programme, which delivered 215 000 engines a year from 2003. Halberg Guss has a 250-year history of iron casting, and has been melting iron since 1756. It has been specifically involved in automotive casting for more than 40 years. Turnover and volumes have almost tripled over the past 15 years. Their German foundries are operating at almost full capacity, hence the need for further capacity. The German foundries cast 260 000 tons of metal last year, which is equal to more than three million engine blocks. Halberg Guss group president Joachim Braun said: “This is where Murray and Roberts Foundries provided a solution. We consider the economic situation in South Africa to be very positive and expect it to grow over the next few years. “With our newly acquired South African foundries and the additional aluminium plants, we are in a position to offer our customers a wider range of products.” The group has also recently made 11 acquisitions of production sites in Europe and another one in Mexico. Halberg Group chairman Ron Hobbs said the acquisitions “significantly strengthen the overall position of the Halberg Group globally, fulfilling an important aspect of the group‘s growth strategy”. Executive director Bernard Brussow said: “We are excited at the prospect of increased local and international opportunities through the acquisition. Our aim is to ensure that we deliver sustainable growth and supply world-class products in a globally competitive market.”