In France, the manufacturer of personal protection equipment CHRISTIAN DALLOZ has announced the acquisition, for the sum of EUR 236 million, of its rival BACOU with which it plans to merge. The move will give rise to the largest company in the sector with a total annual turnover of EUR 900 million. The new group intends to make a bid (public offering) on the shares of BACOU INC, the American subsidiary of BACOU, that it does not yet own (29% of the capital) at the price of 33 euros per share.