S&B has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the bentonite and lustrous carbon activities of Τhe Hill & Griffith Company in the U.S.Α. This activity comprises the design and production -in four blending plants- of proprietary, bentonite based sand binders used in U.S. foundries for casting applications. Two blending plants are located in Cincinnati and Βurbank of the state of Ohio, one in Cicero of the state of Illinois and another one in Birmingham of the state of Alabama. The purchase price is set at $13.4 million, including product inventories of $1.7 million. Total turnover of the acquired activity is about $20 million, while the total production capacity of the four blending plants comes up to 150,000 tons per year. The four new facilities, together with the existing bentonite plant in Βrunswick, Georgia, which has an annual capacity of 50,000 tons, will allow S&B to offer broader integrated solutions to the American foundry market, based on S&B's advanced know-how in blended bentonite products. Commenting on the new acquisition, the General Manager of S&B's Bentonite Division Mr Kriton Anavlavis stated: This acquisition represents one more step in S&B's bentonite related products geographical expansion. The addition of the Hill & Griffith capabilities to our 'Market-to-Mine' chain will allow us to provide broader customized industrial solutions to our new customer base in the U.S.A.