Barentz To Acquire Maroon Group

Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, October 14th, 2020. Barentz International ("Barentz"), a leading global distributor of life science ingredients, has entered into a definitive, written agreement to acquire Maroon Group ("Maroon"), one of North America's leading specialty distributors. Maroon operates at a broad national level in the US market as well as across Canada. The acquisition of this leading North American platform, which is expected to close this quarter, will expand Barentz' activities and is aligned with Barentz' strategy to become a global leader in the life science and broader specialty chemical industries.

Highlights:

• Maroon Group is a world class distributor and one of the largest specialty suppliers to the HI&I, personal care & pharmaceutical, food & nutrition, and CASE markets across North America.

• Founded in 1977 and based in Avon, Ohio, Maroon generates an annual turnover of approximately $500 million and has approximately 300 employees.

• With leading industry experts, unmatched technical know-how, and several specialized application laboratories, Maroon shares Barentz' focus on leveraging industry and technical knowledge to support its suppliers' and customers' business development.

• Maroon will fit seamlessly into Barentz' global product portfolio and will have access to synergistic business development opportunities across all of North America.

Terry Hill, CEO of Maroon Group, and his entire Management Team will continue to manage the operations.

"Terry Hill brings excellent experience and 'know-how'. He also knows my home country The Netherlands and Europe very well and has been highly successful and active in the global ingredients industry for more than 30 years," said Hidde van der Wal, CEO of Barentz.

"We are very pleased that he will join the Management Board of Barentz and guide us, with his very talented team of approximately 300 specialists, towards a smooth continuation of excellence and growth of both companies."

According to Mr. Hill, it was a logical decision to join with Barentz. "The deciding factor was that Barentz is already a global business and this creates tremendous opportunities to strengthen our business in North America and internationally. Barentz is well-known across the industry, we share the same philosophy and entrepreneurial DNA, and is the best possible new home for the stakeholders across our business," he remarked.

This acquisition will bring a series of synergies. "Our product portfolios are very complementary," added Hidde van der Wal. "We have no conflicts of interest and we can learn a lot from each other. Maroon Group has significant scale in North America - the biggest economy of the world, where we were small, until today. The combination will immediately make Barentz a leading global distributor with an excellent opportunity to establish new business segments in North America. It is a natural combination that enables us to offer quality and expertise to our combined customer base."

Kirkland & Ellis represented Barentz in the transaction. Moelis & Company LLC and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP advised Maroon on the transaction. Exact terms of the transaction have not been made public.

About Maroon:

Maroon Group is a world class distributor of specialty chemicals (CASE and HI&I) and life science ingredients across North America. Founded in 1977 and based in Avon, Ohio, Maroon Group has common infrastructure of industry-leading technology, value-added services, global sourcing and logistics network, and a commitment to Creating Customer Success®. This operating philosophy has enabled Maroon Group to offer its 5,000 customers, principal suppliers, and employees with national capabilities, while maintaining a local focus.

Customers have come to rely on Maroon Group's technical sales team, exceptional customer service, a network of more than 40 warehouses located throughout North America, formulary support and global sourcing capabilities. There are three areas in which Maroon excels: consistent in products, consistent delivery, and consistent supply. Find more information on www.maroongroupllc.com. 

About Barentz:

Barentz is a leading global life science ingredients distributor for the Human Nutrition, Pharmaceutical, Personal Care and Animal Nutrition markets. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Barentz distributes ingredients for products to small- and medium-sized enterprises and large customers globally. The Group sources branded specialty ingredients from leading manufacturers worldwide and its ingredients experts provide value-added technical support (including pre-mixing, blending, ingredient formulation and ingredient testing) from its state-of-the-art, customized formulation centers and application laboratories in EMEA, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.

Established in 1953, Barentz has operations in more than 60 countries with a strong presence in Europe and Asia, and a growing presence in North America and Latin America. Today, the company employs around 1,100 people worldwide, sources ingredients from top global suppliers and serves over 15,000 customers. For more information, please visit: www.barentz.com. 

Media contacts:

Barentz
Marcel Holscher, Global Head of Marketing & Communication
marcel.holscher@barentz.com +31 (0)23 567 34 56
Saturnusstraat 15, 2132 HB Hoofddorp, The Netherlands

Maroon Group
Pat Massey, Vice President of Corporate Development
pmassey@maroongroupllc.com +001-440-937-1000 
1390 Jaycox Road, Avon, Ohio 44011