Apr 1 2008
BOC, a member of the Linde Group, a leading supplier of industrial gases and packaged chemicals, announced today that it has agreed to purchase Runcorn-based INEOS ChlorVinyls' packed chlorine business.
The sale will be completed once necessary approvals from the Office of Fair Trading have been obtained. The value of the sale has not been disclosed.
The packed chlorine business is a specialist niche market which involves the packaging and delivery of chlorine liquefied gas in drums and cylinders. The main applications are water disinfection and chemical intermediate treatments. INEOS ChlorVinyls’ staff associated with the business will transfer to BOC as BOC will continue to fill cylinders at the INEOS site at Runcorn.
Mike Huggon, Head of BOC’s Regional Business Unit UK and Ireland said: “This is an excellent opportunity for BOC. The acquisition allows us to extend our service offer to the important water treatment sector. BOC already has existing relationships with many of these customers and we look forward to working more closely with them.”
Chris Tane, CEO INEOS ChlorVinyls added: “This sale represents the best option for the packed chlorine business to secure its long-term future and allows us to focus on strengthening our core businesses. We believe that BOC has the experience and the expertise to take this business forward and maximise it to its full potential.”
Key to this deal is the enhanced service BOC will be able to offer its customers, including improved delivery through its local stocking of product and its national delivery fleet.
Importantly for customers, BOC will continue to multi-source from continental Europe. This combination of a European supply chain and the storage capacity of Ineos will offer customers enhanced business continuity for this critical chemical. The arrangement will bring significant benefits to water utility companies who require chlorine for water disinfection.
Customers will benefit from access to the full range of BOC products and services through a single supplier, resulting in an improved service offering.
Posted April 1st,2008