Brenntag, the global market leader in chemicals and ingredients distribution, announced the agreement to acquire the operating business of Chemgrit Group headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. Chemgrit is an independent specialty chemical distributor with a focus on Personal Care, Food, and Material Science. The closing is subject to customary conditions and is expected in the 4th quarter of 2023.

Personal Care is one of the fastest growing market segments in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. The acquired Personal Care/Cosmetics operations are market-leading with an excellent coverage in South African markets. The addition provides customers with value-added services from a dedicated application laboratory including mixing, refilling, redistribution and delivery, formulating and testing of materials and products and other technical support.

Brenntag Specialties will integrate Chemgrit’s Personal Care operations into its business unit Personal Care & HI&I. The combined businesses will accelerate growth in Cosmetics and extend the application and technical support services also to HI&I cleaning customers.

Michael Friede, CEO Brenntag Specialties, comments: „With this acquisition, we execute Brenntag’s “Strategy to Win” and enrich the capabilities, scope and scale for Brenntag Specialties in Southern Africa. Chemgrit’s Cosmetics focus perfectly complements our existing national food and pharma business in Life Science and supports our ambition to achieve an ever-stronger position with a comprehensive offering in South Africa and beyond.”

Michael Thomson, President Brenntag Specialties Africa “The enlarged Brenntag Specialties business in South Africa will be scaled to other African markets, adding to Brenntag’s current African presence with local entities in Maghreb, Ghana, Nigeria, East Africa, Mauritius and South Africa.”