HELSINKI, Finland - Ahlstrom Corporation has announced the acquisition of Hollinee LLC's Filtration Division in the United States. Hollinee's filtration unit primarily manufactures nonwoven filtration materials for HVAC applications.

Ahlstrom is a leading filtration materials manufacturer with a strong focus on automotive filter products. By acquiring Hollinee's Filtration Division, Ahlstrom is expanding its product offering to the HVAC industry.

"Filtration is one of Ahlstrom's key growth areas, and we actively seek new products and segments within the business. The Hollinee Filtration Division provides us with interesting opportunities for future product development and growth," said Juha Rantanen, president and CEO of Ahlstrom.

The Hollinee Filtration Division will be integrated into Ahlstrom's FiberComposites division. Following the acquisition, the FiberComposites division's net sales will be more than $800 million, employing 2,900 people with manufacturing facilities in North and South America, Europe, and Asia.

Publication date: 07/12/2004