UK-based 2M Holdings, which comprises several companies active in chemical distribution and related services, has acquired German specialty chemicals distributor Franken-Kosmetik-Chemiehandel for an undisclosed sum.

Based in Nuremberg, the family-owned company primarily serves the personal care, home care and food ingredients markets in Germany, Benelux, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia.

Mottie Kessler, 2M’s chairman and CEO, said FrankenChemie’s strengths include the ability to support customers with an application laboratory and just-in-time deliveries in the right pack size. “2M will now build on these strengths and invest to provide customers and suppliers an even better offering,” he said, adding that the Runcorn-headquartered group was seeking opportunities to expand into mainland Europe.

2M noted that FrankenChemie’s market sector focus and product range was highly aligned with that of Surfachem, one of 2M’s largest companies operating in the UK, Scandinavia, Poland and Brazil. FrankenChemie’s major supplier is Germany’s Evonik Industries, which is also a key supplier to Surfachem UK.

The deal follows another German acquisition in April last year, notably CE-O2 Trockeneis, a Düsseldorf-based producer and supplier of dry ice to companies in the food, catering and life science industries.