Specialty chemical distributor Azelis is opening an office in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, as part of its growth strategy for Africa. As part of its plans, the Luxembourg-headquartered group will also establish a warehouse and application laboratory in the West African country, enabling it to meet increasing demand from the region’s emerging middle class.

The Ivory Coast operations will initially focus on specialty ingredients for the food, health and personal care markets, but Azelis said it is also planning to expand into agricultural markets.

The distributor has had a presence in Africa since June 2015 when it set up a subsidiary in Casablanca, Morocco, also investing in a dedicated application laboratory there. At the time of the announcement, Azelis said it would initially focus on distributing specialty ingredients and additives for the food and health industry in Morocco, and the Maghreb region in the future, with plans to expand into the pharmaceutical and personal care industries.