Wolverine Tube and Wieland Group Form Heat Transfer Technology Company

Wolverine Tube, Inc. (Huntsville, AL) and the Wieland Group (Ulm, Germany) recently formed Wolverine/Wieland Heat Transfer Technologies, LLC, a joint venture which will develop innovative and energy efficient heat transfer technology.

The new company, with facilities in Huntsville and Ulm, is expected to accelerate the pace of heat transfer innovation, reduce the cost of technology development, and increase the competitiveness of customers? products.

The Wieland Group is one of the world?s leading manufacturers of semi-finished and special copper and copper alloys, including strip, sheet, tube, rod, wire, sections, slide bearings, finned tubes, and heat exchangers. The company supplies customers in numerous markets, producing over 100 different copper alloys, which are used in the electrical and electronic industry, automotive industry, construction and mechanical engineering, as well as heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration industries.

The Wieland Group operates over 30 production sites, slitting centers and trading companies in Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. Its global workforce is approximately 6,500 strong, of which 4,000 are employed in Germany.

?The rapidly changing technical requirements of our markets will only be met by an ability to revolutionize heat transfer technology. We will leverage the heat transfer technology of two world-class companies to create best-in-class solutions for our customers and markets?, said Bernd Grasshof, vice president of Wieland?s Tube Division.

Wolverine Tube, Inc. is a world-class producer of commercial copper and copper alloy tube, fabricated products, and metal joining products sold directly to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Wolverine has approximately 1,500 employees worldwide.

?The heat transfer markets we serve demand constant innovation. This new company will develop technologies that allow engineers to create air conditioning and refrigeration systems with higher efficiency, lower end-user operating cost, and reduced refrigerant use,? said Harold Karp, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Wolverine.