TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel Chemicals Ltd., a multinational fertilizer and specialty chemicals company, has announced that ICL Performance Products, one of its core operating segments, signed an agreement with the owners of Biogema S.A., a company based at Aix en Provence, France, to acquire the company, effective Jan. 1, 2008.
The acquired business will be integrated with ICL Performance Products' existing fire safety division. This acquisition follows the acquisition of Fire-Trol earlier this year, a Canadian producer of wildfire retardants that was integrated with the North American fire safety division acquired as part of Astaris in 2005. Biogema adds an important European manufacturing, logistics and support group to ICL' Performance Products' current fire safety business.
ICL, who became the leader in the fire safety business in North America with the acquisition of Fire-Trol, is now becoming the world leader in fire safety with the acquisition of Biogema. This is a strategic acquisition for ICL Performance Products both geographically and in widening the product portfolio.
Biogema is active in production and sales of wildfire retardants and fire foams to extinguish wildfires and protect nature, houses and villages against wildfires. Major products are formulations, based on special phosphates.
After the sale, Patrice Oegema will stay involved with the business and consult the new management of Biogema S.A.
ICL Performance Products is the world's leading producer of specialty phosphates and purified phosphoric acid for various industrial and food applications; the segment reported revenues of $1.03 billion in 2006 with major markets in Europe, North America, South America and Asia.