KRAHN Chemie further strengthens presence in Europe by acquiring companies based in Sweden, Great Britain and Spain

02/16/2021

The KRAHN Chemie Group, which is part of the globally operating Otto Krahn Group, has acquired majority stakes in six companies from Jollis AB & Partners.

“The acquisitions further expand our cooperation with existing top producers geographically but offer interesting new opportunities as well. For KRAHN, this is another milestone in developing new markets and applications and gaining additional and valuable knowledge,” says Dr. Rolf Kuropka, CEO of the KRAHN Chemie Group.

Christer Johansson, majority shareholder of Jollis AB, says: “I am very pleased that KRAHN will be taking care of the companies from now on. This is a great match, and employees, suppliers and customers will benefit from this new setup. It perfectly complements the geographical coverage of KRAHN Chemie Group.”

Two of the companies concerned are AmphoChem AB, a leading Nordic distributor of industrial chemicals, additives and specialty chemicals, and Pemco Additives AB, another leading Nordic distributor active in the fuels, lubricants and petrochemical industries. Both are headquartered in Gothenburg and represent renowned international suppliers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. KRAHN Chemie also invested in Temper Technology AB, Gothenburg, which produces sustainable and energy-efficient heat transfer fluids and antifreeze products, Pemco-Trigueros Additives Spain S.L., Alicante, which distributes additives and base oils for use in fuels and industrial and automotive formulations in Spain, and BGM Logistics AB, Gothenburg, a provider of logistics solutions for warehousing, third-party logistics and distribution in Sweden.

In order to bundle the new activities, a new company, KRAHN Nordics AB, has been established. Chatarina Schneider, co-owner of KRAHN Nordics AB and former Managing Director of the acquired entities, will now act as Managing Director of KRAHN Nordics AB. “We are pleased that with Chatarina Schneider we have gained an experienced manager who is very familiar with the regional markets,” adds Dr. Rolf Kuropka.

Chatarina Schneider explains: “The values of KRAHN Chemie as a family-owned, medium-sized company fit very well with those of AmphoChem, Pemco Additives, Temper Technology and BGM. The exchange of skills and know-how that will take place between KRAHN Chemie and the newly acquired companies will also be of benefit to the key producers in our industries.”

KRAHN Chemie also acquired 100% of Petrico Ltd, an England-based entity whose previous indirect majority owner was Pemco Additives. The company has its headquarters in Sandbach, UK, and acts as a distributor of petroleum and chemical products specialized in the lubricants and additives industries.

Axel Sebbesse, Chief Development Officer and Head of M&A of the Otto Krahn Group, who supported the acquisition, comments: “This transaction, like the acquisition of InterActive S.A. in Greece at the beginning of 2020, represents another important step for the KRAHN Chemie Group to sustainably secure its future and further strengthen its position as a pan-European distributor. KRAHN is the ideal platform for companies that want to benefit from the added value of an international well-established group but still retain a lot of responsibility locally.”
 

Headquarters of KRAHN Chemie in Hamburg.
Picture: KRAHN Chemie