LEWISTON — Elmet Technologies and its parent company, Anania & Associates Investment Co. of Portland, announced the acquisition of one of its competitors Tuesday — H.C. Starck Solutions Americas, which has manufacturing facilities in Euclid, Ohio, and Coldwater, Michigan.

Starck Solutions is a global manufacturer and supplier of metals tungsten and molybdenum and related alloys, as is Elmet Technologies. Refractory metals are traditionally used to line industrial furnaces, but have growing applications in the aerospace, defense, medical equipment and semiconductor arenas.

The purchase makes Elmet Technologies the largest U.S.-based producer of tungsten and molybdenum materials and products, with more than 400 employees in three states.

“Unifying our companies provides customers in defense, aerospace, medical, industrial furnaces, semiconductor, and other industries access to a single supplier with a more comprehensive portfolio of products and capabilities,” Peter Anania, chairman of Anania & Associates and CEO at Elmet.

Tungsten is the strongest metal in the world with the highest tensile strength. It’s very dense and has the highest melting point of any metal. Molybdenum has similar properties, but to a lesser degree. A major global source of molybdenum is the Climax Molybdenum mine in Lake County, Colorado.

Elmet is one of only a few manufacturers in the country with the experience and machinery to take tungsten and molybdenum powder, which is semi-refined, and process it into wire, plate, sheet and foil, cubes and spheres. It does so by pressure rolling it and heat treating it. The company is also making alloys from the metals and the applications grow each year.

“The consolidated portfolio now includes a breadth of capabilities and products from the largest extrusion press for refractory metals to fine wire thinner than a human hair,” Anania said. “Combined rolling mill capabilities will increase overall capacity and provide shorter lead times to support the largest and most complex projects.”

The acquisition positions Elmet for expansion of its product lines and its workforce.

“We also anticipate the development of new advanced materials, components, and solutions as a result of our increased capabilities and combined resources and expertise,” according to Scott Knoll, a partner at Anania and who leads mergers and acquisitions and strategy at Elmet.

“To support that innovation, we have immediate plans to invest in expanding our workforce and manufacturing capabilities at all three of our U.S. sites,” Knoll said in a prepared statement.

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