Officials would not reveal the newly formed firm’s combined sales, but the new Battenfeld-Cincinnati brand has a market share 1½ to two times larger than its nearest competitor, marketing director Christoph Steger told European Plastics News, part of the Plastics News Global Group.

Five global production plants — one each in Austria, China, the U.S. and two in Germany — will be integrated into the new entity. The merged company will be divided into three sections: construction, infrastructure and packaging.

The construction division, headed by Rainer Kottmeier, will focus on equipment to make products such as profiles and PVC sheet. The packaging division, led by Henning Stieglitz, will develop equipment for products such as thermoformed films. There will also be an infrastructure division, led by Walter Häder, focusing on pipes for water, gas and telecommunications.

Steger says the group is not planning any layoffs.

Private equity firm Triton owns the businesses. Triton began uniting back-office functions in 2008 for Battenfeld, based in Bad Oeynhausen, Cincinnati Extrusion of Vienna and American Maplan of McPherson, Kan. Battenfeld and Cincinnati Extrusion combined their China operations in Foshan under the name B+C Extrusion the same year.

Battenfeld-Cincinnati said the new organization will be able to concentrate on specific businesses, and pool expertise from each individual company under one name.

Plastics News staff reporter Rhoda Miel contributed to this report.