TechFab LLC (Anderson, S.C.) announced on Jan. 21 that the company has officially changed its name to Chomarat North America (1776). Effective Jan. 3, 2008, Chomarat North America will consolidate the ongoing operations and business activities of TechFab LLC and Rovicore LLC into a single corporate commercial entity. Bruce Hinton, former vice president and general manager of TechFab LLC, is now president of Chomarat North America. The respective sales, marketing and manufacturing teams for Chomarat North America will report to him.

In January 2007, Groupe Chomarat (Marciac, France), purchased the remaining 50 percent share of TechFab, which was formerly owned by Hexcel Reinforcements (Dublin, Calif., 517). Chomarat North America plans to expand the market for its innovative products, such as the revolutionary carbon fiber grid trademarked C-GRID carbon fiber grid products.

The name change follows an earlier January announcement that the company has formed a strategic alliance with Denso North America Inc. (Houston, Texas) to develop a system for strengthening deteriorated timber and concrete piles by combining the strength of C-GRID grids with Denso’s SeaShield pile jacketing systems (see photo). The technical partnership will combine the capabilities of both companies to create a new encapsulation system that reportedly will not only protect piles from saltwater environments and marine borers but also strengthen them with a durable, noncorrosive reinforcement.