Chemical Distribution

Brenntag and Univar Call off ’Engagement’

German distribution giant Brenntag is retreating from plans to acquire US rival Univar. The company said in an ad hoc statement that it is “no longer pursuing these discussions.”

Azelis Expands Asia-Pacific Presence with Chemiplas Acquisition

Consolidation in the distribution sector continues apace. Specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor Azelis has entered into an agreement to take over Chemiplas, a leading distributor of specialty chemicals, plastic raw materials and ingredients in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Rewriting the Rules for Chemical Distribution

Having survived the pandemic so far in good condition, chemical distributors are well positioned to grow, provided they understand how the rules for winning have changed. Distributors that keep their customers’ needs front and center will be best positioned to succeed, regardless of what the future brings.

Azelis Acquires Italy’s Eurotrading

Azelis has entered into an agreement to buy Eurotrading, an Italian specialty chemicals distributor with an extensive product portfolio in actives, emollients and emulsifiers.

Azelis Makes Another Move in Turkey

Azelis has agreed to buy Turkish specialty chemicals distributor Dağalti Kauçuk San, marking its third acquisition in the country so far this year.

Univar Buys Spanish Distributor Vicom

Univar Solutions has bought Vicom Distribución Productos Quimicos, a specialty chemicals distributor operating in Spain and Portugal, in its first acquisition of the year.

Planning for the Unexpected

Dorothee Arns, Director General of FECC, discusses current challenges, market trends and her vision for the chemical distribution industry in Europe. The interview was conducted by Michael Reubold and Ralf Kempf.

Prospects for the Chemical Distribution Industry

The chemical distribution business is a diverse industry that provides customized solutions for important sectors such as pharmaceuticals, paints & coatings, agriculture, cosmetics, food & feed, and automotive. At the center of the supply chains of these sectors, distributors are critical partners for global corporations as well as for SMEs. This role has become particularly obvious and relevant during the corona crisis.

M&A Activity in the Chemical Distribution Industry

Mergers & acquisitions activity in the chemical distribution industry was high in 2021, but current macro-economic conditions may have a dampening effect on the number of deals that will conclude by the end of this year.

Oqema Buys Slovenia’s Alpkem

German distribution group Oqema has acquired Alpkem, a Slovenia-based firm with its main offices in Kranj. Oqema said the deal strengthens its inorganic product line and circular economy business, as well as its infrastructure in southeast Europe. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Barentz Acquires Assets from Mexico’s Chemcel

Dutch-based global distributor Barentz International, specializing in life science ingredients, has acquired unspecified assets of Chemcel, a distributor of specialty ingredients for the Mexican pharmaceutical and nutrition markets. Financial terms were not disclosed.

OpenGate Buys Chemsolv and Chemisphere

US private equity firm OpenGate Capital has bought two US chemical distributors in the space of a week. The first purchase on Jan. 11 was Chemsolv, a regional distributor of commodity and specialty chemicals headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia. The business was acquired from the Austin family, who continue to hold a stake.

IMCD China Adds Muscle in Personal Care

IMCD China, part of Netherlands-headquartered globally active specialty chemicals distributor IMCD, has agreed to acquire all of Chinese personal care company Syntec to bolster its position in the personal care and cosmetics sector. Closing of the transaction, for which financial terms were not revealed, is planned to take place within the next five weeks.

Azelis Raises €1.7 Billion in Brussels IPO

Belgian-headquartered multinational distributor Azelis and its shareholders have raised €1.77 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) on the Euronext Brussels exchange. Azelis gets €880 million from the offering, while shareholders including private equity firm EQT and PSP Investments receive €891 million.

Oqema Buys Ireland’s Casoria

German chemicals distributor Oqema has acquired Ireland’s Casoria for an undisclosed sum, expanding both its network in the country and its product portfolio. Based in Cavan, Casoria distributes a range of chemicals and metals to the Irish market.

Distrupol Takes Lautrup Chemicals

Distrupol, a UK-based distributor of thermoplastics and elastomers, has acquired Lautrup Chemicals, a Danish polymers distributor. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ensuring Value and Efficiency in the Supply Chain

In his interview with CHEManager, Hidde van der Wal, CEO of chemical distributor Barentz, talks about the company’s performance in 2020 and latest strategic developments.

Harke Group and BOAI NKY Expand Cooperation through Eastern Europe

Harke Pharma has expanded its distribution partnership through Eastern Europe with BOAI NKY, China’s largest PVP and PVPP manufacturer.

Mergers & Acquisitions Are an Integral Strategic Component

In the drive to reach growth objectives, or to maintain and enhance “critical mass”, mergers & acquisitions (M&A) has been a theme for the chemical distribution industry for years. The industry leaders (by size and geographic reach) were all built through a series of such transactions. The practice is further trickling down to the smaller and mid-sized company layer of the sector, and more distributors espouse external growth options.

Pilar Castellanos Pineda Appointed as Managing Director of IMCD Colombia

Speciality chemicals and ingredients distributor IMCD has appointed Pilar Castellanos Pineda as Managing Director of IMCD Colombia effective May 25, 2021.

M&A Activity Will Continue, No Doubt!

Analysis of the mergers & acquisitions activity in chemical distribution under the impression of the pandemic situation and how it might develop going forward.

Barentz Boosts European and US Presence

Dutch distributor Barentz has acquired a majority stake in the Noack Group, extending its activities in the Central/East European region and gaining a complementary portfolio of animal nutrition ingredients.

Oqema Sets up new Distribution Partnership with Solvay

Global chemical company Solvay and specialty chemicals distributor Oqema have entered into a distribution partnership for phenol and phenol derivatives. The partnership covers Solvay’s products hydroquinone, methylhydroquinone, TBC and PTZ for the monomers market, alongside other phenol derivatives for the agrochemicals and pharma markets.

The Chemical Distribution Industry

HSH Chemie Expands Activities in the Baltics

Hamburg, Germany-headquartered HSH Chemie has founded a new subsidiary in Riga, Latvia by converting its former representative office, established already 3 years ago.

Strategic Realignment for HSH Chemie and Ter Chemicals

Azelis to Buy Turkey’s Ekin Kimya

In its fifth acquisition so far this year, Azelis has agreed to buy Ekin Kimya, a leading Turkish specialty chemicals distributor active in the pharmaceuticals, food ingredients and laboratory chemicals segments. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close in the next three months, were not disclosed.

Oqema opens new laboratory with competence centre

Azelis Appoints Ron Rosenberg as Group Technical Innovation Director

Brenntag Acquires in South Africa and Taiwan

Oqema is growing in Switzerland

Oqema repositions itself in France

Chemical Distribution 4.0

“68% of chemicals worth $76 billion will be sold online within the next five years.” This was the message from leading market research institutes and consultants in 2000, at the start of the new millennium.

E-Commerce Platforms in the Chemical Industry

Digitalization is a very important topic not only in the chemical industry as a whole, but also in chemical distribution.

E-Commerce Platforms in the Chemical Industry