Lanxess bought of US specialty chemicals producer Unitex

Amid rising demand for phthalate-free plasticisers, German specialty chemicals producer Lanxess (Leverkusen) made its first ever acquisition of a US manufacturing site on 12 October 2011 when it announced the purchase of Unitex Chemical Corporation (Greensboro, North Carolina / USA). Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed, although Lanxess did say it would close with immediate effect. Unitex’s 40 employees generated sales of more than USD 30m in 2010.

The German group said Unitex’s portfolio – the US group has capacity to turn out more than 50,000 t/y of specialty products in Greensboro – would strengthen its own phthalate-free plasticiser range, which includes the “Mesamoll”, “Unimoll”, “Adimoll” ans “Ultramoll” families. The Greensboro-based business is to be integrated into Lanxess’ Functional Chemicals business division.

Legislative changes in North America, western Europe and Japan mandate a switch to phthalate-free plasticisers – a requirement that most recently prompted fellow specialty chemicals company Eastman (Kingsport, Tennessee / USA) to raise output at its Kingsport facility.

Source: Lanxess