Materion agrees to acquire tantalum manufacturing assets in South Korea

Manufacturing assets in Dangjin

Materion has agreed to acquire manufacturing assets for tantalum solutions in Dangjin City, South Korea, from Konasol. The proposed transaction includes a newly built facility and specialised equipment for making finished tantalum sputtering targets. The acquisition remains subject to regulatory review. At its announcement on May 29, 2025, Materion expected completion within 90 days.

President and chief executive Jugal Vijayvargiya said the acquisition would strengthen support for major semiconductor customers in Asia. The additional capacity is intended to supply deposition materials for advanced chips, including applications in high-performance computing and artificial intelligence. Materion described nearly four decades of work with the semiconductor industry. The company is headquartered in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, and employs more than 3,000 people worldwide.

Regional operations and workforce

Uli Blankenstein, vice president of strategy and execution in Materion’s electronic materials division, expects the assets to bring the company closer to Asia Pacific customers and add operational capabilities. Eight Konasol employees would join Materion if the transaction closes. Financial terms and further factory details were not disclosed. The proposed purchase would establish Materion’s first production capacity in South Korea.

Materion operates approximately 25 manufacturing locations worldwide, with about half in the United States and the remainder in Europe and Asia. Founded in 1931 as Brush Beryllium Company, the business developed from mining and metals into advanced materials for semiconductor, industrial, energy and automotive customers. Its electronic materials division recorded sales of $335 million in 2023, compared with $196 million in 2020, with growth supported partly by artificial intelligence and 5G connectivity.

Transaction scope

• Seller: Konasol, a Korean manufacturer.
• Location: Dangjin City, South Korea.
• Assets: a new factory and equipment for finished tantalum sputtering targets.
• Status: agreed purchase, conditional on regulatory review.

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