BASF has signed an agreement to acquire Albemarle’s global surface treatment business, Chemetall. The purchase price is $3.2 billion. The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant authorities and is expected to close by the end of 2016.
Chemetall is a global technology and innovation leader in the metals surface treatment market, and is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. It has approximately 2,500 employees globally, and operates 21 production sites in more than 20 countries, as well as 10 R&D locations and 24 sales offices. For the full calendar year of 2015, its sales were $845 million.
“Chemetall offers a