Asia Pacific chemical expansion: Azelis acquires “major” stake in Catalite Thailand

17 Mar 2022 --- Personal care chemical specialist Azelis is acquiring a significant stake in personal and home care chemical company Catalite, based in Thailand.

The business transaction is scheduled to close after fulfilling customary conditions in the first quarter of 2022, says Azelis. The company did not reveal the precise amount of this investment.

“Becoming part of a renowned international player will be beneficial for our company, customers and principals, with numerous growth opportunities and great synergies for both companies,” says Udomlak Kootiratrakarn, CEO at Catalite.

“A strengthened presence in Thailand deepens our coverage in the Asia Pacific, which is one of the strategic priorities for the Group,” adds Laurent Nataf, CEO and president at Azelis Asia Pacific. Azelis owns 17 personal care chemical facilities around the world. 

The choice of acquisition is not coincidental. Azelis has observed Catalite serving a large and growing customer base in Bangkok. The rising customer base provides Azelis with a reliable platform to further its growth within the local and broader Asia Pacific markets. 

Azelis reports 49 Catalite employees to join Azelis along with its leadership. This includes “Udomlak Kootiratrakarn and chief commercial officer Vaivit Arkaresvimun continuing to lead the business.”  

“This transaction is aligned with Azelis’ strategy to complement organic growth with strategic value-enhancing acquisitions.”

The acquisition mainly bolsters Azelis’s Life Sciences portfolio in Thailand, within which its personal care services and products can be found. 

“Combining our strengths with Azelis’ will give us access to other reputable principals, further reinforce our technical expertise and formulation development, and enable us to serve our customers better,” comments Kootiratrakarn. 

Asia Pacific history
Since 2005, Azelis has made itself present to the Asia Pacific with the setup of its first raw material sourcing platform in Shanghai, China describes the company. “Soon after, we added India and Australia to the map.” 

Azelis has been present in Thailand since 2015, where it creates solutions for customers in the Industrial Chemicals sector. 

In its personal care segment, Azelis offers decorative cosmetics, skincare, fragrances, hair care, oral care, bath and body, sun care, functional ingredients, fragrance ingredients, organic and COSMOS (soil certification) specialties.

Previous business moves
The current news confirms its previous discussions of strengthening Azelis’s presence in the Asia Pacific. 

The company previously identified a rise in Chinese demands for natural and sustainable cosmetics ingredients. Additionally, Azelis inaugurated a personal care lab in Egypt to boost formulation and stability research

Furthermore, Azelis acquired 100% shares in a south-Korea-based company Coseal along with a distribution expansion with CP Kelco in the Netherlands. Within Europe, the company has also been observed to acquire Austria-based Neupert Specialities.

Edited by Venya Patel