The automotive catalytic converter business Rhodia has successfully took over the W.R. Grace and Company in the hopes of making its aftermarket parts business even better.

The Maryland-based Rhodia acquired the Grace & Co.’s washcoat alumina business of 7.5-acre plant on Paddock Road, which is equivalent to a whopping $20 million. An estimated 50 employees of the Grace Division plant will be transferred to automotive catalytic converter maker. Established in 1954, Grace will have to move its silica production to its larger plant in Curtis Bay in Maryland.

Being an aftermarket parts add-on maker, acquiring the Grace plant will strengthen its business since Grace also produces active anti-pollutant devices, like the catalytic converters. Vehicles make use of these aftermarket parts in treating or filtering the noxious emissions before going out through the exhaust. Vehicle owners must know that harmful pollutants like Carbon monoxide and sulfur oxide come from vehicles and with catalytic converters equipped in the exhaust system, these gases are treated.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 9th, 2007 at 3:33 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.