Brenntag has detailed a planned “strategic transformation and growth path”, including updated mid-term targets, at a Capital Markets Day in London. Among other things this will see “the further operational and legal disentanglement” of Brenntag Essentials and Brenntag Specialties, though not the full separation some shareholders had been demanding.

Brenntag has announced an agreement to acquire independent speciality chemical distributor of Chemgrit Group of Johannesburg, South Africa, in a deal that is expected to close in Q4. Shortly afterwards, it also opened operations at two new innovation and application centres for personal care in France and the UK.

At their AGM on 15 June, Brenntag shareholders voted for the company’s supervisory board candidates and rejected alternatives from ‘activist’ investor PrimeStone Capital, which has been agitating for a radical change in strategy. All of the motions proposed by the board were also approved, including a €2/share divided payout.

Richard Ridinger was re-elected as a member of the supervisory board with 62.71% of the votes cast, while Sujatha Chandrasekaran was newly elected with 61.79%. At its constituent meeting following the AGM, the supervisory board elected Ridinger as chairman.

Brenntag has opened its new pharmaceutical application development centre in the Singapore Science Park. This will be the company’s first pharma R&D facility anywhere, as well as part of Brenntag Specialties’ global network of 82 innovation and application development centres.

“Singapore is an ideal location for our first pharmaceutical application development centre, given its thriving ecosystem of R&D partners, technology providers and talent,” said Romain Girard, president of pharma Asia-Pacific at Brenntag Specialties. T

Engine Capital, an investment firm with a 1% stake in Brenntag, has become the second to advise the company to separate out its two businesses. PrimeStone, which owns 2%, had urged similar action in December, when Brenntag itself was in discussions with Univar Solutions about a possible merger.

At its latest capital markets day, distribution giant Brenntag announced ‘Strategy to Win’, its detailed strategic growth plan including new mid-term targets until 2026. It also unveiled a new brand identity. ‘Strategy to Win’ is the second phase of a planned “transformation journey”.