The American company Hexcel plans to divest its composite materials business and focus on carbon fiber.
On October 22nd, the leading global carbon fiber manufacturer, American company Hexcel, announced on its official website that in order to refocus its business on the preferred carbon fiber sector aligned with the company's core competencies, it is exploring strategic options for its Neumarkt factory in Austria. Specifically, the company plans to divest the operations of the Neumarkt factory in Austria and seek potential suitable successors.
The Hexcel factory in Neumarkt, Austria, is located in the district of Grieskirchen, a small town situated 50 kilometers west of Linz. Established by the American company Hexcel in 1947, the Neumarkt factory has been producing high-quality composite materials for global industries. Initially focused on adhesives, the factory gradually shifted its emphasis to composite materials over the years.
Currently, the Neumarkt factory primarily produces glass fiber and carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin prepregs. Other products manufactured at the factory include HexFit?, SuperCap?, and other fiber-reinforced matrix materials, as well as glass fiber/epoxy resin laminate sheets and polyurethane formulations. In terms of applications, the products from the Neumarkt factory are mainly used in wind turbine blades and sports equipment (especially sleds and ski boards). Aside from wind energy and winter sports, the factory also serves important sectors such as marine and automotive industries.
According to the announcement made by Hexcel Corporation, the parent company of Hexcel, it plans to refocus its industrial business on preferred carbon fiber applications that align with its core competencies. As a result, Hexcel has decided to divest the composite materials business at its Neumarkt factory in Austria.
Hexcel's performance for the first half of 2024 shows that the aerospace and defense sector accounts for as much as 92% of its business, while the industrial sector has shrunk to only 8%. The planned divestment of the Neumarkt factory is specifically aimed at its composite materials that primarily serve the industrial sector.
