Swiss speciality chemicals firm Clariant is to acquire masterbatch maker Plastichemix Industries, located in Vadodara with production facilities in Rania, Kalol and Nandesari in Gujarat (India). Plastichemix Industries is a supplier of black, white, filler and colour masterbatches, additive masterbatches, flushed pigments and mono-concentrates as well as engineering plastics compounds.

With this acquisition, Clariant Chemicals (India) Limited (CCIL) says it will enable the company to cater to a larger customer base and also double its sales in the next five years. “This synergy will help us to develop our business. The global set-up of the BU Masterbatches will allow the exports of Plastichemix Industries to grow even stronger and to give products like highly loaded and very well dispersed single pigment concentrates a global platform.”

As part of the future business approach, it will also introduce an upgraded Technical Service Laboratory to offer the market customised products.

"This acquisition is part of our global strategy to explore business opportunities in our Masterbatches business and to focus on emerging markets like India. The strong growth perspective of the plastics industry results in a bright future for the masterbatches business in India,” says Hariolf Kottmann, CEO of Clariant.

Clariant‘s BU Masterbatches has more than 50 manufacturing plants around the world. This is its third masterbatch deal in the year, the earlier ones being a joint venture with Tasnee & Sahara Olefins Co. of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and an acquisition of the organic pigment business of Chinese materials firm Jiangsu Multicolor Fine Chemical.

Founded in 1977, Plastichemix Industries says it is one of the oldest masterbatch producers in India. It has four manufacturing plants near Vadodara. For a brief period in the late 1990s, Plastichemix was a joint venture with Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Switzerland. Clariant later purchased the masterbatch unit of Ciba in 2006. Plastichemix has a production capacity of 24,000 tonnes/year and employs over 250 people. Its product range is marketed under the brand names Spectramix, Polyadd and Polyfill.