News bulletin – chemical distribution

NEWS BULLETIN

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION

BRENNTAG CONTINUES EUROPEAN EXPANSION

Brenntag has acquired Scotland-based Tan International, a distributor and blender of specialty and industrial chemicals and ingredients. Tan’s portfolio covers the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, agriculture and energy sectors and is expected to have generated sales of £21m in 2019.

Karsten Beckmann, member of the management board of Brenntag and CEO of Brenntag EMEA, says: “With the acquisition of Tan International we complement our existing activities and offering in the region and thus strengthen our position in the country. The company’s strong relationships with large key accounts as well as its diverse portfolio support our ambition to expand further in focus industries such as food and nutrition, agriculture and oil and gas.”

In Poland, Brenntag has strengthened its partnership with Grupa Azoty, expanding its portfolio of products to include Oxoviflex® (DOTP/DEHT), Adoflex® (DOA) and Oxovilen® (DBTP) plasticisers and taking over the distribution of packed goods in the Germany/Austria/Switzerland region. www.brenntag.com

BIESTERFELD BOOST FROM BPR

Biesterfeld has expanded its partnership with Emerald Kalama Chemical to include distribution rights for Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Slovenia. Having previously handled sales of Kalaguard® SB in Germany and Austria, the partnership has grown thanks to successful registration under Part 6 of the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR). As a result, Kalaguard SB, which has been used as an effective preservative in foods, beverages and personal care applications for some time, is now available for homecare formulators.

In home care applications such as cleaners, detergents, hand dishwashing liquids, wipes and fabric conditioners, Kalaguard SB (pictured opposite) acts as a preservative, which inhibits microbial growth. The product is classified as a low-risk substance by the European Commission for applications governed by BPR and is preferred over classical biocides to encourage the use of products with a more favourable environmental or human or animal health profile.

“We are delighted to expand our cooperation with Emerald Kalama Chemical, as we have seen a strong customer demand for Kalaguard SB,” explains Verena Kahrs, product manager personal care and cleaning, Biesterfeld Spezialchemie. “We are also planning to introduce the product in Romania, pending local administration of the European Union BPR approval in this country.” www.biesterfeld.com

IMCD EYES LATIN AMERICA

IMCD has continued its expansion across the Americas with the acquisition of Colombiabased ingredients distributor Unired Químicas, with full integration expected over the course of this year. Unired distributes specialty chemicals and ingredients to the pharmaceutical, food and personal care markets and is headquartered in Bogotá. Unired generated revenue of $8m in 2018.

Oscar Clavijo, Unired president, says: “We are delighted to become part of IMCD as the acquisition immediately propels Unired into the future with a larger and more specialised team and added technical know-how.”

Marcus Jordan, president of IMCD Americas, adds: “Following IMCD Americas’ acquisitions in the US, Canada and Brazil, this is an important next step for IMCD to enter the Colombian market and to expand our LATAM presence. Unired is a reputable pharmaceutical, food and personal care distributor and we very much look forward to working together to further develop our offering to both suppliers and customers in the region.” www.imcdgroup.com

STICKING TOGETHER

Henkel (left) and Bodo Möller Chemie have extended their collaboration with Bodo Möller now including Henkel Adhesives medical products in its portfolio. These include instant adhesives, UV curing adhesives, epoxy resin, hybrid and silicon adhesives, meaning that Bodo Möller’s customers will have access to a suitable adhesive system and professional

advice and services for a range of applications.

Wolfgang Bier, regional head western Europe AEI industrial assembly key account team at Henkel, says: “We see Bodo Möller Chemie as highly competent partner and are glad that the company has started acting right away as qualified contact for our medical field customers too.”

“We are already collaborating closely with Henkel in different areas, among them are the Loctite products for the medical field and the Bonderite product family for surface technologies in metal processing,” says Frank Haug, CEO of Bodo Möller Chemie.” To our delight, the partnership becomes even closer with the cooperation in China and we hope we can develop it further in the future.” bm-chemie.com

CHANGING THINGS UP FOR 2020

Univar Solutions is to sell its Environmental Sciences business to AEA Investors for $195m. The transaction is expected to close early in 2020. “After careful and thorough evaluation, we are convinced that this transaction will be a ‘win-win’ for our Environmental Sciences dedicated employees, our loyal customers and supplier partners and for Univar Solutions,” says David Jukes, Univar Solutions president and CEO.

“Environmental Sciences is already well established as an industry leader in pest management, and we are confident that AEA has the right resources and vision to position the business for long term sustainable growth,” Jukes adds. “We will continue our intense focus on growing the value of our core chemical distribution and ingredient business and capturing the maximum value from the integration of the legacy Univar and Nexeo Solutions.”

In Russia, Univar Solutions has relocated its office in Ufa to larger premises, as part of its growth plans in the country. “We are very excited with the opening of our new office in Ufa, which is a big step for our Russian business in one of the largest cities in Russia. Univar Solutions is investing in the people, and the region, as we enhance and expand our business. This investment also directly reflects our current and future growth plans,” says Matthew Ottaway, vice-president of focused industries in Europe, Middle East, and Africa for Univar Solutions. “Through this new office, we are well positioned to help customers and suppliers solve complex problems through dedicated resources that are regionally focused.”

Univar is also adding food ingredients staff at its offices in Moscow and St Petersburg and is planning to introduce personal care experts soon. www.univarsolutions.com

WELCOME TO MEXICO

Azelis has acquired Megafarma, a specialty distributor for the pharma, food and veterinary industries in Mexico. The acquisition gives Azelis an entry into the Latin America market and a route to other market segments, such as plastics, foam, CASE, personal care and household and industrial cleaning.

“Being the most populous country in the Americas after the US and Brazil and with a large specialty chemicals market, Mexico is an excellent entry point into the Spanishspeaking part of America, where Azelis was not yet present,” says Dr Hans Joachim Müller, Azelis CEO and president. “Local presence in Mexico will allow us to add new mandates of food and pharma principals we already work within other geographies.”

Frank Bergonzi, Azelis Americas CEO and president, adds: “We have been impressed by the business model and the strong management team at Megafarma. They are financially solid and have shown a very strong track record over the years, with double-digit sales growth between 2016 and 2018. Like Azelis, they are highly focused on specialties. Our expectation is to expand the strategic supplier relationships we have in the US and Canada in the food and pharma segments. Through the acquisition of Megafarma, Azelis Americas will increase its Life Sciences footprint and will have the platform to bring other Azelis key market segments into Mexico. We are excited to have the Megafarma employees join the Azelis Americas family, with the team and all operations remaining in place.” www.azelis.com