Pechiney has announced its acquisition of Alufin GmbH Tabularoxid. The company specializes in the production of tabular alumina, which is mainly used in high-performance refractories. It was founded in 1992 by Dieter P. Schlayer and employs over 40 people in its Teutschenthal plant near Leipzig, Germany. Its annual production capacity is currently 18,000 metric tons, with the potential to double in the short term. "This acquisition is in line with our strategy of development in specialty alumina markets, for which we are a front-rank European player through the product range of our Gardanne plant in southern France," stated Bruno Poux-Guillaume, vice-president, Bauxite-Alumina. "In the fast-growing sector of monolithic refractories, the pooling of Alufin and Pechiney's know-how will enable us to offer expertise and innovation capability that meet our customers' needs even more fully."