Nouryon has completed its previously announced acquisition of the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) business of J.M. Huber Corporation.
The newly-acquired business manufactures a complete line of CMC grades and serves customers in over 80 countries, generating sales of around €135 million. It includes a world-class manufacturing plant and advanced R&D facility located in Äänekoski, Finland. The business’s 248 employees will transfer to Nouryon.
Äänekoski, Finland site
The transaction will significantly broaden Nouryon’s portfolio of products in CMC, a sustainable, bio-based water-soluble polymer used as a thickener, binder, stabilizer and film former.
Nouryon says the acquisition underlines its strategy of investing to develop a leading position in attractive growth markets.
CMC is used in a broad range of end markets, including home and personal care, buildings and infrastructure, food, pharmaceuticals, and packaging.
It is the latest in a series of acquisitions by Nouryon to accelerate growth. Last year, the company acquired Zhejiang Friend Chemical Co., the largest Chinese producer of triethyl aluminum (TEAL), a key polymer catalyst. Earlier this year, Nouryon also acquired the merchant TEAL business of Sasol.
“We are excited by the opportunities that this high-quality business provides,” said Charlie Shaver, Chairman and CEO of Nouryon.
“With a range of products that complements our existing CMC portfolio, it allows us to offer our current and new customers a significantly broader set of bio-based solutions and confirms our commitment to investing in sustainable growth platforms. We are also pleased to welcome the employees of this business into the Nouryon family.”
