Azelis strengthens position in Australia & New Zealand with acquisition of Chemcolour

25 Jul 2017 --- Azelis has announced the full acquisition Chemcolour, specialty chemicals and food ingredients provider in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). The company employs a highly knowledgeable team of 90 people, who will all transfer to Azelis. The acquisition, which will be closed in the next few months will strengthen and position Azelis among the top distributors in ANZ.

Chemcolour is well positioned in the local markets and has shown steady growth over the years, both in specialty chemicals and food ingredients sectors. The company has built a strong portfolio of globally established suppliers thanks to their solid values, technical expertise, and innovative, problem-solving approach. 

“With the combination of the platform of Chemcolour with the suppliers' access of Azelis we believe that we will be able to distribute more diverse and more competitively food ingredients into the ANZ market,” Camiel Husiman, Managing Director Azelis ANZ tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 
 
“In addition, Azelis runs a network of 40 application laboratories, out of which 14 are dedicated to Food and they are located in 13 countries across Europe, Asia and Africa. Our top-notch industry experts who work in the labs, help our customers formulate products that will meet the most stringent of market requirements thus enabling our customers to become and remain market leaders in their respective sectors,” Husiman explains. “The newly enlarged Azelis ANZ will benefit from this international network of laboratories and excellence centers.”

Dr Hans Joachim Müller, CEO of Azelis, comments on the deal: “Australia and New Zealand are wealthy countries with a growing population and rich in natural resources. The fact that the fundamentals of the countries positively contribute to the strength of Chemcolour’s business, makes this acquisition a great platform to extend mandates with our existing, global principals into Australia and New Zealand.”

Laurent Nataf, Azelis CEO APAC, adds: “Chemcolour has a significant presence and a long-standing history in both New Zealand and Australia. Their business model is fully tailored to local markets, not only in their superb product portfolio and service but also in the technical knowledge and commercial skills of their people. It is a perfect fit, as we have always strived to be the best local champion in every region we serve. I am confident we will create many synergies and achieve new wins together.”

Murray Nancekivell, Chemcolour CEO: “Chemcolour has positioned itself well in the New Zealand and Australian markets and the time is right to continue this growth. The acquisition of Chemcolour by Azelis puts us in an even stronger position in the market to better serve our customers and principals. This, coupled with the strongly aligned Azelis and Chemcolour values, provides excellent opportunities for our employees going forward.”

Funds advised by Apax Partners have been Azelis’ major shareholders since 2015 and are committed to supporting the company’s growth in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients distribution industry. Acquiring Chemcolour endorses this commitment and Apax is confident that the expanded range of services and global reach provided by this acquisition will bring significant benefits to customers of the combined group.

By Elizabeth Green