Barentz and Ravago join forces

Netherlands-headquartered Barentz Europe and Belgium's Ravago Group are to combine their chemical distribution activities through the creation of a new 50/50 joint venture to be known as Barentz Ravago Chemical Specialist. The new company will go live this coming January 1 with the aim of becoming one of the leading speciality chemical distributors in Europe. Commanding annual consolidated sales of more than €160m, its geographical reach will encompass western, central and eastern Europe, Russia and several CIS countries as well as the Middle East and Africa. Additionally, it will also cooperate with Campi y Jové, a joint venture in which Ravago holds a 50 per cent stake and which, covering Iberia and North Africa, boasts annual sales of €250m.

The new joint venture will employ a staff of around 100. It will be headed by Barentz CEO Hidde van der Wal. “It is fascinating to see that we create a new leader in chemical distribution,” he says. “A tremendous amount of knowledge and experience is bundled to create value and solutions for all our partners. It is a new start to create much more opportunities, including direct access to the Middle East and Africa.”

“This new family-owned group of companies,” adds Ravago CEO Theo Roussis, “ offers a very powerful, true pan-European alternative for the chemical industry. It enables us to grow faster with our principals and customers.”

The news comes shortly after Barentz Europe acquired the minority shares in Barentz Hungary from erstwhile joint venture partner Scanac. “We were always very pleased with the joint venture set up and at the same time proud of developing the local business for our important principals,” van der Wal says. “However, being now the 100 per cent owner of the company enables us to further invest in Barentz Hungary and to establish a very solid base for further expansion within the entire region. It perfectly fits our expansion plans of our business divisions.”

www.barentz.com
www.ravago.com