FVC's success had brought numerous overtures from companies looking for diversification, plant capacity, management efficiency, financial resources, or an offset to cyclical business. for instance, when flinder valves was taken public in 1996, auden company, which later became a holder of 20% of FVC commom stock, advanced a merger proposal. rumors of possible aniitrust action by the U.S. departmend of justice had circulated after the news of the proposed merger become public, and auden withdrew from the discussion. FVC received various proposals from 1998 on, but none reached the stage of working out an agreement until the advances of RSE international corporation.