Speciality chemicals distributor Safic-Alcan UK (Warrington / UK; www.safic-alcan.co.uk), has bought rival chemical producer Techform Fine Chemicals (Stafford / UK) for an undisclosed sum. Techform supplies firms operating in the UK and Ireland construction market with polymers, thickeners, accelerators, retarders, shrinkage compensators, defoamers, air entrainers, plasticisers and binders, as well as speciality additives. The company focuses on the drymix sector of the construction industry, and also distributes chemical products to other European countries.

In a statement, parent company Safic-Alcan (Puteaux / France; www.safic-alcan.fr) said the acquisition would strengthen the firm’s footprint in the construction sector. Mike Strong, director of Techform, said he would continue in a consultancy role during the takeover process.

Safic-Alcan extended its partnership with carbon black producer Orion Engineered Carbons (Senningerberg / Luxembourg; www.orioncarbons.com) in October 2017. In addition to France and the UK, the distribution deal now includes the Benelux region and the German-speaking countries. In 2016, Safic-Alcan assumed full control of its Swedish subsidiary to bolster its activities in the Nordic region (see Plasteurope.com of 19.07.2016).