M&As: Meridian acquires adhesives firm American Sealants; ExxonMobil acquires thermoset materials firm Materia

US firm Meridian Adhesives Group (Meridian) has acquired American Sealants Inc (ASI). Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, ASI specialises in the innovation of product assembly adhesives and sealants. These dynamic solutions are used in multiple applications and markets, including industrial, DIY, transportation, residential and commercial building, and construction.

ASI will join Meridian's Industrial Division, which serves the flooring, packaging and product assembly markets. The company brings a broad product line and technology base to the division's Product Assembly category.

"ASI is a valuable addition to the Meridian portfolio, further extending our reach as a full-service solution provider of high-performance adhesives and sealants to our customers," said Daniel Pelton, CEO of Meridian Adhesives Group. "We are excited to have ASI drive our Product Assembly focus, and we are looking forward to the company's extensive product offering and technology base broadening the solutions we can offer our customers."

Established in 1987, ASI provides sealant and adhesive technical support and packaging solutions to customers around the world. The company offers users the opportunity to private label silicone and sealant products, while simultaneously providing custom packaging innovations.

In other news, US chemical firm ExxonMobil Chemical Company has acquired California-based Materia, a technology company that has pioneered the development of a Nobel prize-winning technology for manufacturing a new class of materials. The innovative materials can be used in a number of applications, including wind turbine blades, electric vehicle parts, sustainable construction, and anticorrosive coatings.

ExxonMobil and Materia have been collaborating since 2017 on the development of new hydrocarbon-based materials that are stronger, lighter and more durable than existing thermoset products such as epoxy. In the wind power industry, these benefits could enable the design of longer, more durable wind turbine blades for more efficient renewable electricity production. Due to their strength, the materials could also be used as a light-weight, corrosion-resistant replacement for steel in certain construction applications.

“We are reimagining how new hydrocarbon-based materials can form the building blocks to help multiple industries achieve a more sustainable future,” said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. “This acquisition ties together Materia’s Nobel Prize-winning technology with ExxonMobil’s complementary proprietary technology and world-class manufacturing capabilities to bring this exciting new class of structural materials to commercial scale.”

The materials take advantage of revolutionary catalyst discoveries made by professor Dr. Robert Grubbs and his research team at the California Institute of Technology. Grubbs received the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for these discoveries.

“The combination of Materia’s innovative culture, dedicated employees and cutting-edge technology with ExxonMobil’s expertise and scale in bringing new technology to market will open up an exciting new chapter for Materia,” said Professor Robert Grubbs, Nobel Laureate and co-founder of Materia. “ExxonMobil’s acquisition significantly expands the growth opportunities for this unique technology.”

The acquisition includes Materia’s headquarters and technology center in Pasadena, California and its manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Texas. ExxonMobil intends to operate the business under the Materia company name as a wholly owned affiliate.

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