An agreement had been signed in early December between the two French valve firms allowing Valco to purchase the Guichon company, along with its Asian subsidiaries. “The complementarities of products and international installations will allow this new enterprise to become a major world player in the technical and specialty valve industry as well in critical industrial processes” says Stephane Galichet, President of Valco Group France, “Guichon is a company that, for almost a century, has specialised in high-end, custom made and multi-technology valves. We were seduced by their know-how and their strong positions in export among leaders of each business sector they address. Guichon products will be able to complete our offering in France, and equally in the different subsidiaries or joint-ventures recently opened (South Africa, Australia, United Arab Emirites and Algeria)”.