Univar’s wholly owned subsidiaries in Sweden and Norway have agreed to acquire Kemetyl Industrial Chemicals for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition is expected to close in early 2018.

Headquartered in Haninge, Sweden, Kemetyl distributes bulk and specialty chemicals, including isopropanol, glycols, metal salts, minerals and polyacrylamides in the Nordic region. The company is also one of the region’s largest suppliers of industrial-grade alcohols, including its own brand Sekundol, which is derived from recycled ethanol and used as a carbon source in the wastewater treatment process.

“The Nordic region is at the forefront of global R&D when it comes to life sciences, which makes this agreement a smart and strategic move to build our customer base and enhance our market expertise. This acquisition will allow Univar to expand its leading position in pharma and strengthen its expertise in water treatment,” said Steve Newlin, Univar’s chairman and CEO.

Kemetyl group’s chairman, Ketil Stave, added that the divestment is a logical step in its strategy to further focus on consumer chemicals.

The purchase is the second for Univar this year and follows the takeover of Tagma Brasil in September. Based in Sao Paulo, Tagma provides custom formulation and packaging services for crop protection chemicals.