Tiny UK high-performance graphics board specialist benchMark Technologies Ltd of Kingston, Surrey, has been acquired by chemicals giant Du Pont Co, Wilmington, Delaware. Du Pont, the world’s sixth largest corporation, has taken a majority equity interest in benchMark which will become a subsidiary of Du Pont (UK), but further terms of the agreement were not announced. Du Pont marketing and communications specialist Lynn Powell said the deal was part of its policy to expand its electronic processing equipment business aimed at the printing industry. Up until recently we would have invented the technology, said Powell, but now we will get it whichever way we can. BenchMark equipment will be used for complex colour electronic imaging systems, in conjunction with laser scanning hardware: du Pont currently offers only a black and white system. Du Pont’s other computer industry interests are mainly in optical recording.
