ACQUISITIONS
Kemira Chimica, the Italian arm of Kemira Kemwater, says it has signed an agreement to acquire Ageco’s (Lucca, Italy) water treatment business. The deal includes an agreement under which Kemira Chimica is allowed to produce ferric chloride at Ageco’s plant in Lucca; Ageco will retain its metal recovery business at Lucca. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Under terms of the agreement, Ageco will install a technology at the Lucca site that removes zinc from pickling acid; the zinc will be recycled back to the metal galvanizing industry, says Kemira Kemwater v.p. Stig H. Bache. The pickled acid will be used as a raw material to make ferric chloride, an intermediate in producing coagulants. The coagulants will be used to treat sewage systems, Bache says. Kemira will operate the plant, and pay for the expansion, Bache says. Ferric chloride capacity at Lucca will increase from 8,000 m.t./year, to 30,000 m.t./year, he says.
Kemira Chimica claims it will be one of the leading ferric coagulants producers in Italy with plants at Cremona and Lucca. Kemira Chimica currently produces ferric chloride at Cremona, Italy, and also markets aluminium coagulants, activated carbon, and polymers to the Italian water treatment market, as well as specialty chemicals to the Italian pulp and paper industry. The business has sales of about euro 10 million ($11.3 million)/year, the company says.
The deal is the latest for Kemira; it recently acquired paper chem-icals firm Klebstoffwerke Collodin Dr. Schultz & Nauth (Frankfurt), and it plans Co purchase Vulcan’s North American pulp and paper chemicals and industrial water treatment chemicals business (CW, May 21/28, p. 19). Kemira says it is searching for acquisitions within its water treatment, paints and coatings, and pulp and paper units (CW, May 21/28, p. 19), Kemira says it may close a U.K. plant, however (story, right).
Increasing ferric chloride capacity.
* Kemira May Close U.K. Paints Plant
Tikkurila, the coatings subsidiary of Kemira, says it may close its Bury, U.K. plant and concentrate its U.K. production at West Bromwich. Further details were not disclosed. The company cites contracting demand for paints in the U.K., which has resulted in “fierce competition on price with subsequent pressures on profitability.”
* P&G, Wella Deal Gets Nod from FTC
Procter & Gamble (P&G) says it has received FTC approval to proceed with its acquisition of hair care firm Wella (Darmstadt, Germany). The deal is waiting regulatory approval from other regions, including the European Union, P&G says. A German court threw out a legal challenge by hedge funds earlier this month to block P&G’s offer to take over Wella. The funds argued that P&G’s euro 65($74)/share offer for preference shares and euro 92/share for outstanding shares is too low. The court ruled in favor of P&G, saying that the funds did not have the right to appeal against a regulatory decision to let the takeover go ahead. P&G has secured about 80% of the share capital of Well (CW, July 2/9, p. 41).
* RPM Buys Boral Admixture Unit
RPM subsidiary Euclid Chemical (Cleveland) has acquired Boral’s (Sydney) U.S. chemical admixture business for $13 million. The acquired unit has production and distribution sites at Monroe, NC; Brauning, TX; Auburndale, FL; and Eloy, AZ. Euclid makes specialty chemicals used in concrete and masonry formulations.
* DSM Files Suit Against Herkula
DSM Desotech (Elgin, IL), a business unit of DSM, says it has filed a lawsuit against Farbwerke Herkula (St. Vith, Belgium) in a Belgian court for possible patent infringement. DSM Desotech claims that Hercula’s ultraviolet-curable fiber optic inks infringe on its intellectual property rights. A Belgium court-appointed specialist visited Herkula’s St. Vith site to gather evidence for the investigation on July 1.
* Southern Clay Raises Additives Prices
Southern Clay (Austin, TX) says it has raised prices for its rheological additives by 5%, effective August 15. The additives are used in ceramics, cosmetics, industrial and institutional cleaners, personal care, and pharmaceuticals.
* Cognis Names Surfactants Distributor
Cognis has named Surfactants (South Plainfield, NJ) its exclusive distributor for care chemical and primary surfactant products in the North East and Mid Atlantic.
Copyright Chemical Week Associates Jul 16, 2003
