7 Sept 2005
Univar and Novozymes announce a market-leading European partnership
Rotterdam, September 7, 2005 - Univar N.V., a world leader in chemical distribution, has announced the agreement of a pan-European partnership with market-leading enzyme producer, Novozymes A/S. This link-up marks a significant step for both companies because the extent of geographical coverage gives Univar its widest, one supplier distribution contract to date, whilst Novozymes moves from numerous distributor agreements to consolidation via Univar.
Already operational in 14 countries, including Iberia, France, Benelux, Italy, the Nordic region, UK, Ireland and Poland, plans are well under way for continued roll-out into Germany and Switzerland throughout 2006. The agreement sees Univar as Novozymes’ main European distributor for enzyme solutions in the detergent industry and for textile formulators in selected market segments.
According to Andreas Dietrich, Novozymes Commercial Director Europe: “Univar fits our current distribution needs and also has the infrastructure in-place to evolve with our future growth. As a specialist supplier to the detergent industry and textile formulators it is already present in these target market segments across Europe.”
“Local customer knowledge, contact and infrastructure, full technical support and existing market penetration are critical deliverables. Univar also impressed us with its clear commitment to driving this partnership forward. By simplifying the supply chain we benefit from a single dedicated management team which ensures cost-efficient product delivery, co-ordinated pan-European product launches and access to valuable technical resources. With almost 80% of the roll-out now complete, the transfer has been well received and we are confident of its long-term success and growth,” says Dietrich.
“As part of our regular strategic review, we identified enzymes as a gap in our product portfolio,” says Guy Monteil, Univar Vice President Marketing. “We have now successfully resolved that issue through a pan-European partnership with the world leader in enzyme technology. This demonstrates our commitment to providing customers with the broadest choice of raw materials from world-class producers.
“Our agreement with Novozymes gives customers the opportunity to simplify the procurement process, as well as access our specialist knowledge and market understanding. We are already seeing positive results from the transfer, with business retained or growing in all key markets. Univar is an extremely strong proposition for chemical producers looking to consolidate their distribution channels in Europe and we will continue to establish partnerships in order to expand and strengthen our offering to customers.”
In addition to the Univar agreement covering the detergent industry and textile formulators, Fiske, Univar’s dedicated food ingredients distribution brand, will act as the main distributor for Novozymes in key European food and beverage sectors.
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Notes for editors
About Novozyme
Novozymes is the biotech-based world leader in enzymes and microorganisms. Using nature’s own technologies, we continuously expand the frontiers of biological solutions to improve industrial performance everywhere. Headquartered in Denmark, Novozymes employs more than 4,000 people in 30 countries. Novozymes produces and sells more than 600 products in 130 countries. Novozymes A/S’ B shares are listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. For further company information, visit Novozymes on the Internet at www.novozymes.com.
About Univar
Univar N.V. is one of the world’s leading independent distributors of industrial chemicals and providers of related specialty services and is a chemical distribution leader in North America and Europe, with annual sales of approximately 5 billion euro. The company serves customers in key industry sectors from a broad-based product offering sourced from the world’s foremost chemical producers. Customer sectors include amongst others; food, pharmaceuticals, personal care, natural resources, cleaning products, polymer and plastics, paints and coatings, metallurgy, textile. They are supported through an extensive network of 195 centres located throughout the USA, Canada and 14 European countries. For more information: www.univarcorp.com and www.univareurope.com
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Univar N.V. has announced the agreement of a pan-European partnership with market-leading enzyme producer, Novozymes A/S. The agreement sees Univar as Novozymes’ main European distributor for enzyme solutions in the detergent industry and for textile formulators in selected market segments.
