Scottish door blank and components supplier Halspan says it is excited about the business opportunities created by it acquiring part ownership of the Moralt panels and door blank factory in Germany.

The deal sees Halspan invest a seven-figure sum in the newly created Moralt AG, equivalent to a 25-30% share, with German blockboard producer SWL also taking a share in the business. Moralt Tischlerplatten had been in administration since last year due to funding issues and cheaper competition.

The interesting ownership structure, which also includes a 20% share for Moralt employees, effectively sees Halspan holding the balance of power of a German panels manufacturer – necessary to satisfy German competition concerns as SWL’s own door blank and panels business transfers to Moralt AG.

Halspan will market and sell SWL and Moralt blockboard, laminboard and specialist panel products outside of German-speaking countries – including continental Europe, North America and the Gulf region, while SWL and Moralt will focus on their home markets.

Halspan managing director John Martin told TTJ that the current UK operation for Moralt products worked well and would continue, with Lathams as a main distributor.

“The products are complementary to Halspan. Our interest is it gives us access to new markets. We have got markets they want to go into and they have got markets we’d like to access. Halspan is a mature product in a mature market and we have to develop new products and new markets, that is our lifeblood.

“This gives us a manufacturing source making a different kind of product. Our technical people will be looking into the various products that Moralt could make for us. It’s a toyshop for them.”

Halspan will work closely with Moralt’s Bad Tölz factory in product development.

Halspan’s door and fire door blanks are currently made using three-layer particleboard and plywood/MDF-faced Falcatta blockboard, the latter resulting in the company’s acquisition of the intellectual property rights of Sentry International earlier this year.

Mr Martin sees market potential for Moralt’s laminboard products in niche acoustic and thermal niche door applications.

Halspan, which is currently moving its English base to the M11 Business Park, has a current turnover of about £12m with panel product distributor customers including Lathams and Meyer Timber.