US compounder and distributor PolyOne, based at Cleveland, Ohio, has paid $120 million to acquire US fiber optic specialist Fiber-Line. The company based at Hatfield, Pennsylvania, USA, has sales of nearly $100 million and regards itself as a global leader in customized engineered fibers and composite materials.

Fiber-Line’s high-end portfolio includes aramid, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), UHMW-PE and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-reinforced materials. The company also has a strong position in engineering specified performance characteristics for fibers, with an emphasis on strength, abrasion and chemical resistance, along with specialty colorants.

Founded in 1987, Fiber-Line currently has five manufacturing or distribution sites for its products on three continents. In Europe, it is represented by a wholly-owned subsidiary in Leeuwarden in the Netherlands. In Asia, it has distribution facilities at Shanghai, China.

Commenting on the deal, PolyOne’s CEO Robert Patterson said Fiber-Line is an “innovative and unique addition” to his company’s portfolio of fiber and composite solutions “with tremendous upside for growth."

Integrating the acquired business will give PolyOne "an immediate leadership position in serving the build-out of fiber optic cable and future 5G networks,” the CEO said.

The purchase is expected to add formulation expertise and technologies complementing PolyOne's existing specialty composite solutions as well as wire and cable applications.

Longer term, Patterson said he expects growth to be driven by significant technology synergies between fiber and composites, utilizing specialty colorants and coatings, which PolyOne is “well positioned to develop."