Trelleborg buys MNE Group to open up semiconductor market
Sweden's polymer specialist Trelleborg has signed an agreement to acquire Korea's MNE Group. It expects the transaction to give it access to some of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers.
Trelleborg is a leader in engineered polymer solutions that seal, damp and protect critical applications in demanding environments. It operates across a range of verticals, but obviously believes it can improve its presence in semiconductors. For this reason it has lined up the purchase of MNE Group, which comprises two companies – Materials Nano Engineering and Materials Nano Solution.
MNE manufactures high-performance seals for the aftermarket and for OEMs of semiconductor production equipment. This is a highly specialised area since semiconductor chips demand extreme requirements for purity and plasma resistance. But there's a huge market for these seals from makers of IoT sensors, robotics, electric vehicles and more.
"Through MNE Group, we gain established customer contacts with some of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers in the largest local market for semiconductors globally. With South Korea as a base, we plan to grow further in other Asian markets," said Peter Hahn, Business Area President for Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. "The combination of MNE Group's expertise and local capacity, along with Trelleborg's technology, R&D, and global network, allows us to accelerate growth in this rapidly expanding and profitable market segment."
