German specialty chemicals company Lanxess has completed the acquisition of the microbial control business unit of the US group International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) for $1.3 billion.
With the closing of the transaction announced in August 2021, Lanxess adds two production sites to its network in St. Charles, Louisiana, and Institute, West Virginia.
The new business will be integrated into the Material Protection Products business unit of Lanxess.
The acquisition brings strategic biocidal active substances, a large registration package and strong brands which are a perfect fit for the Lanxess microbial control portfolio.
It will also benefit from the addition of Phenoxyethanol to its personal care and household preservative portfolio.
Phenoxyethanol is an additional pillar for the company’s customer preservation strategy in addition to isothiazolinones and sodium benzoate allowing to offer customized solutions to customers and enable them to adapt their preservation to the growing regulatory challenges, it said.
“By combining Lanxess ’ and the acquired businesses, we are now building a strong and broad product and technology platform for microbial control and biocides, from active ingredients to powerful formulations,” said Michael Schaefer, head of Lanxess’ Material Protection Products business unit.
“This enables us to offer our customers additional application-oriented solutions and to strengthen our value chain,” he added.
“The microbial control business also gives us access to new technologies and enhances our regulatory position through additional registrations.”
