France-based Cerec and The Netherlands-based Antonius, the 2 most experienced manufacturers of dished heads with respectively 103 and 70 years of industrial experience, have decided to merge. The operation is effective 15 December 2009. The new Company, called “Cerec-Antonius” will cover the whole range of hot and cold-formed heads up to 10m diameter and 250mm thickness in all kinds of steel including stainless steel and titanium as well as clad materials. At the same time Cerec-Antonius is installing 2 manufacturing facilities for hot formed heads: Cerec-Metalform in India-based Baroda will start to manufacture hot forged heads during the first semester of 2010, and Cerec-Tampos-Industriais will cooperate with NUCLEP to manufacture hot forged heads in Brazil-based Itaguai. With these four manufacturing facilities located on 3 continents, a sales office in Dubai, and a worldwide network of agents, Cerec-Antonius will provide its customers with a full range of high quality products. Alain Honnart (Chairman) and Piet Smeets (Vice Chairman) declared that Cerec-Antonius, led operationally by Henry Potmans (President), will become the first player world-wide in terms of product creativity, service to customers and flexibility. Becoming a local producer in Brazil and India, 2 countries with high potential, will allow Cerec-Antonius to boost their exports from Europe and allow the Company to participate actively in the huge investment programs expected in the powergen and petrochemical industries.