Polywater Acquires Carima to Enhance Global Support of Electrical and Telecommunication Industries

September 17th 2024, Stillwater, Minnesota, U.S.A.
Polywater®, a manufacturing leader in infrastructure construction and maintenance solutions, today announced the acquisition of Carima, a European market leader in the production and formulation of water-based lubricants and anti-friction agents for fiber optic and power cable installation. This strategic acquisition is a move to strengthen the presence of Polywater in the EMEA region markets.

For Carima, and their customer-base, this acquisition enables enhanced technical support from research and development capabilities at Polywater, and access to their 50-plus years of industry knowledge and expertise of friction management in cable installation. Additionally, Carima will gain access to other industry-related solutions from the Polywater portfolio such as system-hardening conduit and duct sealants, and high-performance cleaners for fiber optic and electrical cable splicing.

With the acquisition of Carima, Polywater will enable further growth in their global manufacturing footprint and increase service levels to customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The acquisition creates alignment between these two Industry-leading manufacturers that results in offering a broader portfolio of solutions to meet customer needs.
“With Carima now a Polywater company, we will continue to enhance the support of our customers with solutions that best meet their needs now and into the future,” states Eberardo Pipani, General Manager of Carima. “It’s business as usual, but with a much bigger family.”

Carima will continue to do business as a brand and operationally well into the foreseeable future, with their talent and personnel remaining with the corporation through the acquisition. Carima headquarters will report to Polywater Europe, based in the Netherlands. Carima and Polywater will maintain their independent brands and their products will progress together in complimentary applications and distribution channels.

“Carima and their Gliss brand of lubricants will maintain their leadership position, backed by support from another global leader in friction management solutions, Polywater,” says Klaas Littooij, Executive Vice President of Polywater Europe. “Since we are essentially servicing similar markets, customers will now benefit from the synergy between our two companies.”
“This acquisition truly represents a strategic alliance of best-in-class specialty companies providing game-changing solutions to enhance cable installation performance, practices, and processes,” exclaims Erik Freyser, Polywater CEO/President. “We are excited about the future potential of Carima with Polywater.”

About Polywater

Polywater was founded in 1973 as a single product company—a revolutionary water-based lubricant formulated specifically to reduce friction in underground cable-in-conduit installations. Since that time, Polywater has expanded into a global leader of manufactured solutions. Polywater products are designed to improve underground cabling, harden systems, maximize the life of aging assets, and support strategies for resilience and reliability for major infrastructure markets such as telecommunications and electrical power.

About Carima

Carima is a chemical company situated near Milan, Italy. Founded in 1982, Carima has established a reputation for developing various types of water-based cable lubricants and other anti-friction products designed to improve fiber optic and electrical power cable installations. Carima maintains an innovative position developing a range of products, promising short delivery times, and engaging in an ongoing process of quality assessment and improvement.