WireCo World Group has acquired a synthetic rope manufacturer, Lankhorst Ropes based in the Netherlands, in a deal valued at about $177 million.

The Kansas City-based WireCo has facilities in St Joseph. In a news release, the company said it had closed on the purchase Thursday.

The company will assume Lankhorst’s outstanding debt worth about $40.5 million (33.2 million euros).

Lankhorst makes synthetic ropes used in the maritime, fishing and offshore-drilling markets. The firm has more than 1,300 employees in the Netherlands, Portugal, and Brazil.