Azelis expands into South America with the acquisition of ROCSA in Colombia

Azelis, a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire the majority shares of ROCSA Colombia S.A., a renowned specialty chemical distributor active in both life sciences and industrial chemical markets in South America. The acquisition represents a strategic expansion of the group’s footprint, reinforcing its platform to execute its growth strategy in the region.

ROCSA is one of the leading specialty chemical distributors in Colombia, with a rapidly-growing presence in Peru and Central America. It is active in the life sciences market, primarily in Food & Nutrition, Personal Care, and Home Care & Industrial Cleaning, as well as in industrial chemicals, with a strong presence in CASE (coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers) and Plastic Additives. With over 130 employees, including a strong and experienced sales force and logistics team, the company serves 1,900+ customers from its headquarters in Colombia and four other offices across the region.

Given ROCSA’s long-standing relationships with global strategic principals, as well as large domestic and regional suppliers, the company’s principal portfolio and product expertise significantly expand Azelis’ lateral value chain. This expansion allows the group to serve customers and accelerate its growth in the region. Following the establishment of the group’s regional innovation center (RIC) in Mexico, the addition of ROCSA’s portfolio of products and capabilities is a significant milestone in Azelis’ strategy in South America.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, after fulfilment of customary closing conditions.

Dr. Hans Joachim Müller, Azelis Chief Executive Officer, comments:

“Through the acquisition of ROCSA, we are proudly entering into South America with a market-leading company. This strategic platform provides Azelis with significant foothold in the market, as well as the opportunity to expand with our customers and principals, in-line with our strategic vision in the region. Together, our combined capabilities and expertise will bring forth a compelling range of new and innovative solutions.”

Frank Bergonzi, CEO & President Azelis Americas, comments:

“We are delighted to welcome ROCSA to the Azelis family. ROCSA brings a robust portfolio and performance track record, which is an important step in our growth strategy in South America. ROCSA maintains numerous strong relationships with principals and customers, and they share our commitment to innovation and sustainability. We look forward to growing together to become the preeminent innovation service provider in the region.”

Carlos Yaipen, CEO at ROCSA Colombia S.A., adds:

“We are looking forward to joining forces with the Azelis team, to serve our customers and principals even better, and expand in the region together. Our market-leading regional expertise together with Azelis’ strong global network brings us a powerful international reach, which will benefit our diverse range of principals and customers. We look forward to leveraging Azelis’ leadership in sustainability, digitalization and innovation, and we’re confident that ROCSA will thrive under Azelis’ ownership.”

Eduardo Salinas, Managing Director, Latin America, Azelis, comments:

“Having interacted with the ROCSA team, it is clear that they are an outstanding group of professionals that will bring significant value to Azelis. Their expertise in markets served, work ethic, enthusiasm, and customer focus fit perfectly with our values. Through this strategic acquisition, Azelis further demonstrates our commitment to becoming the leader in specialty distribution services for our customers and principals in Latin America. We look forward to welcoming ROCSA to the Azelis family.”