The special metals retailer INTERNATIONAL METAL SERVICE (625 million euro turnover in 2000) has made two small acquisitions. The first concerns the British company CROMDANE, specialized in steel for oil exploration with a turnover of £6 million in 2000. The second transaction concerns TECHNIPLAQUES, a French SME specialized in strong anti-abrasion products with a turnover of FF 22 millio in 2000. The two operations represent an total investment of some fifty million FF.