News bulletin – chemical distribution

NEWS BULLETIN

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION

DKSH ON THE UP

DKSH has reported improved results across its businesses for 2019, with group sales up 2.1 per cent compared to 2018 at SFr 11.6bn ($11.8bn) and adjusted operating profit up 10.1 per cent at SFr 279.9m.

“We improved the performance across all Business Units for the first time in years despite restrained consumption in Thailand and turbulences in Hong Kong,” says CEO Stefan P Butz. “I am especially pleased that profits are increasing again in Business Unit Consumer Goods and that we, on group level, delivered four value-creating acquisitions. Thanks to the good team effort, DKSH is better positioned for the future and looks ahead with confidence.”

DKSH has meanwhile signed an agreement to acquire specialty chemicals distributor Axieo, which will expand the footprint of its Performance Materials Business Unit in the Pacific region and take it into the agrochemicals sector in Australia and New Zealand.

“By combining DKSH’s international expertise and Axieo’s local experience, we will generate more value for manufacturers and customers,” says Steve Dawson, Axieo CEO. “The acquisition marks the beginning of another exciting chapter in our almost 70-year history. We look forward to contributing to our joint future success.” www.dksh.com

GTM BIG IN PAINT

GTM Holdings, the largest independent chemical distributor in Latin America, has opened a technical development laboratory for the paint market. The new lab in Guatemala aims to support suppliers and customers with new technologies in applications, and fits with the company’s global strategy of offering customised products and solutions to its customers. www.gtmchemicals.com

NEW BUSINESS FOR OQEMA

The Oqema Group is to acquire Danish chemical distributor Chemark, a specialist in solvents that has been active in the Nordic distribution market for around 20 years and has an annual turnover of some €40m. Anders Englund and Peter Nielsen, Chemark’s managing directors for the past 12 years, will continue to manage the company after the acquisition has been finalised. Oqema is one of the leading chemical distributors in Europe with representation at 45 locations across 21 nations.

Peter Overlack, CEO of Oqema (pictured opposite), is pleased about the growth in Northern Europe and with this step, together with his team, is consistently continuing the company’s European strategy: “Of course, Chemark’s sales are only manageable given the Scandinavian market as a whole. What convinces us are the quality of the business, the quality of the management - and the location in the greater Copenhagen area, which offers an excellent base of operations for expansion into Sweden, Finland and Norway. The company has already extended its feelers to neighbouring markets. We will be happy and committed to develop this further.”

Oqema has also struck a distribution agreement with Italmatch Chemicals, a specialist in performance additives for water and process treatment, oil and gas, industrial lubricants and plastics. Oqema is now exclusive distributor for Italmatch’s Advanced Water Solutions (AWS) range in the Benelux, France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

“We look forward to this new distribution partnership with Oqema,” says Mark Eyers, global vice-president of the AWS business unit at Italmatch. “Oqema’s strong market and application experience, its proven performance as a value creator in the distribution markets combined with its willingness and capability to represent the complete Italmatch AWS product range are a good guarantee for a successful collaboration.” oqema.com

OMYA, IDWALA FORM JV IN ZA

Omya International and Idwala Industrial Holdings have established a joint venture in South Africa, Omya Idwala SA, for the distribution of specialty chemicals and calcium carbonate. Omya Idwala SA will use Idwala’s local expertise and Omya’s growing position across the country to offer a full range of Idwala products and imported Omya products.

“As a leading supplier of high-quality calcium carbonate products and one of the largest distributors of specialty chemicals worldwide, we are very excited to significantly expand both our chemical products portfolio and our geographical presence in South Africa,” says Harald Pfaller, Omya’s CEO

region Greater South and East. “Idwala, whom we have been enjoying successful cooperation with for many years, is the right partner for us in this development.”

The new joint venture begins with offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town and is planning further expansion of its sales network. www.omya.com

TER STRENGTHENS EXXON BOND

TER Chemicals and ExxonMobil have expanded their existing distribution agreement by including in the portfolio Exxon Elevast polymer modifiers, special liquid hydrocarbons that are perfectly suited to a variety of plastic products that require a high degree of flexibility and material thickness at the same time, such as cables and hoses (below).

“The Elevast polymer modifiers stand out for their superb technical qualities and are an important element of our distribution portfolio. We are delighted that we are now able to further consolidate and expand the partnership with Exxon,” says Dr Marwan Zein, senior product manager at TER Chemicals. www.terchemicals.com

CALDIC BUYS IN MALAYSIA

Caldic has expanded its capabilities in south-east Asia with the acquisition of DCM Asia, a prominent distributor of specialty chemicals in Malaysia. DCM Asia has a leading presence in the region for coating and construction, plastics and rubber and personal care and food nutrition.

“We are very pleased with the acquisition of DCM Asia that will further strengthen our position in the Asia Pacific region,” says Wilco Langschmidt, CEO of Caldic Asia-Pacific. “With DCM Asia on board, I am confident that together we will successfully bring many value-added solutions to customers and grow the market for our suppliers and partners.”

“Our goal has always been to forge strong relationships with our partners and provide innovative, creative and bespoke solutions,” adds Deek Sern Lee, CEO of DCM Asia. “Caldic’s full-service specialty strategy perfectly reflects our vision for the future, so we are very happy to become part of Caldic. It means both our customers and employees will benefit from Caldic’s global network and capabilities.” www.caldic.com

STOCKMEIER GOES SWISS

The Stockmeier Group has continued its expansion in Europe by becoming majority shareholder of Kemtan, a long-standing Switzerland-based trading house for specialty chemicals and contractual partner of wellknown manufacturers across the industry.

“We are very pleased that Kemtan AG will be part of our group of companies in the future and that Stockmeier will thus also be represented locally in Switzerland. The profile of Kemtan AG fits perfectly into the Stockmeier Group,” says Peter Stockmeier, managing partner of Stockmeier Group. www.stockmeier.com

KRAHN ADDS GREEK DEAL

Krahn Chemie has acquired a majority stake in InterActive SA, a specialist distributor of lubricant additives to the Greece, Cyprus and Israel markets, based in Athens.

“We are very pleased about this acquisition which gives us access to regions where we have not been active before and, in the case of Israel, will additionally strengthen the growth of the Krahn Group outside Europe. InterActive is a technically driven, well-established distributor with a profound market knowledge and the same mindset as Krahn and by that the ideal partner to broaden our existing businesses to new regions,” says Dr Rolf Kuropka, Krahn Chemie’s managing director.

Yannis Protopapas, founder, co-owner and managing director of InterActive, adds: “The new affiliation with the Krahn Group provides us with a strong and solid base for our future business development. As a family-owned company, Krahn Chemie clearly matches with InterActive, especially with its firm commitment to securing the long-term development and growth opportunities in today’s rapidly consolidating markets. It is a pleasure to be now part of a group which also strongly believes that deep local market knowledge and partnership-oriented relationships are fundamental in creating value for both our customers and suppliers. In addition, the access to an extensive and high-quality product range, technical services as well as in-house laboratory support will accelerate our future growth.” www.krahn.eu