In August 2021, specialty chemicals company Lanxess completed the acquisition of Emerald Kalama Chemical. The U.S.-based company is a world-leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals. All required regulatory approvals have been received. The company financed the purchase price of around EUR 870 million from liquid funds. In 2020, Emerald Kalama Chemical generated global sales of around EUR 375 million and EBITDA pre-exceptionals of around EUR 80 million. One quarter of sales originated from business with specialty chemicals for industrial applications.
The bigger part of seventy-five percent of sales were attributable to business with specialty products for the consumer care market, especially products for flavors and fragrances, as well as preservatives for use in food, household products and cosmetics. With the closing of the transaction, Lanxess grows by around 470 employees and the three production sites in Kalama/Washington (USA), Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Widnes (Great Britain).
The second-biggest acquisition in company’s history sees the company expanding its range of specialty chemicals for industrial applications, especially for the plastics, paints and coatings as well as adhesives industries. One important addition to the new portfolio is the K-Flex range of non-phthalate plasticizers and coalescents for adhesives, coatings, sealants and vinyl applications. K-Flex plasticizers optimize production processes and end product properties. They are highly compatible with polar polymers in water-based adhesive systems and improve film formation in paints and coatings. During the manufacture of PVC articles, the rapid-gelling dibenzoates can help to speed up processing.
“The new products broaden the existing Lanxess range and offers growth opportunities in the area of non-phthalate plasticizers which meet the most modern requirements of the plastics processing industry”, underlines Dr. Thomas Facklam, Head of Global Application Technology in the Polymer Additives business unit.
Other important additions to the overall portfolio for industrial applications include Kalama Vitroflex plasticizers for the manufacture of polysulfide sealants and Modulast modifiers, which were developed for use in reactive polyurethane systems. Last but not least, benzoic acid, benzaldehyde and benzoate salts supplements the Lanxess offer in future. These are used as intermediates, building blocks and additives in a number of industrial applications, e.g. for the production of esters, alkyd resins or corrosion inhibitiors.
