Univar completes Quaron and BCS acquisitions
Appoints Mark Byrne as executive vp and chief operating officer
Chemical distributor Univar has successfully closed its separate acquisitions of Quaron in Belgium and the Netherlands and Basic Chemical Solutions (BCS), a distributor of commodity chemicals.
Univar and Quaron will begin trading as a combined entity from 10 January 2011 and an integration team comprising representatives from both companies has been set up to streamline the merger process. The move will allow Univar to strengthen its position, reach, service, technical expertise and product portfolio in Benelux, according to the company.
“There is a strong strategic and cultural fit between the two companies,” said president of Univar Europe, Middle East and Africa John van Osch. “The expanded product portfolio and increased logistical capabilities provide major benefits for both customers and suppliers as well as supporting our growth plans in the region.”
Quaron’s logistics network in Belgium and the Netherlands is supported by laboratories, tank and warehouse storage and mixing facilities. It also brings added-value services such as storage, diluting and mixing.
Meanwhile, concurrent with the close of the BCS acquisition, Mark Byrne, president and ceo of BCS, was appointed as Univar’s executive vp and chief operating officer. BCS specialises in broadly used chemicals and is said to provide a unique integrated distribution model, combining bulk and mini-bulk chemical distribution with a global procurement and trading platform.
