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Lanxess pursues hygiene buy

Lanxess has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire the Theseo Group. Subject to the usual French processes of consultation and regulatory approvals, this should be completed in mid-2021, the company said.

Based at Laval, France, Theseo mainly makes disinfection and hygiene products mainly for livestock farming in Europe and Latin America, particularly pigs and poultry. It is also active in water hygiene.

USalco buys two

USalco, an HIG Capital affiliate that makes aluminium-based speciality chemicals mainly for water and wastewater treatment processes and refinery catalysts, has acquired Al Chem Specialties and CalChem. The two firms are also active in chemicals for municipal water treatment and wider industrial applications, with plants in Ohio and California. CEO Scott Williams will remain with the firms.

Important announcement: Spec Chem is back!

I am pleased to be able to inform our readers that Speciality Chemicals Magazine has resumed publication as of this week. We are now an operation of in2 Publishing.

We had not published since the April 2020 issue, though I continued to add news and update the website in the interim. Like so many other companies in the field, SCM's then owner TRMG was badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and had to put almost all of its staff on furlough. Now, with a new owner, we are looking forward to working with you again in the coming years.

Azelis buys in Vietnam

Azelis has acquired a majority stake in two Vietnamese firms, MKVN Chemicals and Viet Chemicals, via their parent company Bellekimia Singapore. This continues a recent spree of acquisitions and investments in Asia for the global distributor.

Both companies were founded in 2000 and have offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. They are active in personal care, industrial chemicals, agrochemicals and food, with about 700 customers. They also have personal care laboratories.

Double trouble for Tronox

TiO2 producer Tronox is facing a Phase 2 investigation from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into its proposed acquisition of the TiZir titanium and iron business from French mining and metallurgy group Eramet. The company said that it may offer unspecified ‘remedies’ before this goes ahead.

Further funding for SurfactGreen

French bio-based surfactants firm SurfactGreen has received €4.7 million in investment, with €3.1 million in grants and repayable advances from ADEME and Bpifrance and €1.6 million in capital from its shareholders. This will enable it to double the workforce to 24, start international sales and accelerate the commercialisation of its products, the firm said.

Kemira completes UK expansion

Finland’s Kemira has announced the completion of the first of a two-step capacity expansion in its water treatment chemicals production in the UK. The output of the aluminium-based product line in Ellesmere Port, near Liverpool, will be increased by more than 30,000 tonnes/year.

A second investment at Goole is currently under way and by September the firm expects to raise production of ferric-based water treatment chemicals by 100,000 tonnes/year. In all, Kemira makes over 350,000 tonnes/year of water treatment chemicals at these and two other UK sites at Bradford and Teesport. 

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