Johnson Matthey Acquires Organics Maker
Avocado Research Chemicals
Ward Hill-March 4, 2002 - Alfa Aesar, a Johnson Matthey Company, and
Avocado Research Chemicals, Ltd. have come to terms on an agreement
whereby Alfa Aesar will acquire Avocado.
The purchase will add an important organic research chemicals component
to the existing Alfa Aesar/Johnson Matthey manufacturing portfolio. With
the addition of Avocado’s
extensive production capabilities, in tandem with larger Johnson Matthey
facilities, Alfa Aesar now offers customers a single source for organic
chemicals from research to fullscale production.
The acquisition follows six years of close cooperation between the two
companies. During much of that time, Alfa Aesar has operated as exclusive
North American distributor for Avocado products.
"Alfa Aesar and Avocado have had a
cooperative and mutually productive relationship for the past six years.
In that time, Alfa Aesar has enhanced its strong position in high purity
inorganics and metals with its emergence as a reliable supplier of quality
research organics,"
said Barry Singelais, Director of Alfa Aesar worldwide.
Singelais added, "We
have worked together with Avocado for years. We know the people and the
products and they know us. This is the next logical step in the Alfa
Aesar/Avocado partnership."
In only 10 years, Avocado has grown virtually from scratch to be a
major research organics manufacturer with substantial operations and 70
employees, including 35 chemists. Avocado has extensive expertise in a
wide range of chemical synthetic processes.
"In a relatively short time, Avocado has
grown to be one of the leading manufacturers of organic compounds for
research in the world,"
said Dr. Eric Wildsmith, Director of Avocado Research Chemicals.
"Alfa Aesar took a
chance with us in the earlier days and has remained an important part of
our growth since that time. This next phase in the relationship will
enable us to continue to expand and to develop new products for chemists."
A significant amount of Avocado product inventory is already consigned
to Alfa Aesar’s
distribution center in Massachusetts. The Avocado name will be retained as
a brand name representing high quality organic research chemicals from
Alfa Aesar.
About Alfa Aesar
Alfa Aesar, a Johnson Matthey Company, is a leading international
manufacturer and supplier of research chemicals, metals and materials.
With nearly 25,000 products in the company’s
catalog, Alfa Aesar is the single source for customers’
chemicals and materials needs, from sizes for research to semi-bulk and
bulk quantities. Alfa Aesar has sales and distribution facilities in
Boston, USA and Karlsruhe, Germany and a high purity inorganic chemicals
production plant in Royston, England. Alfa Aesar also draws on the
significant manufacturing network of Johnson Matthey, with numerous
chemical, catalyst and fabricated metal production plants in North
America, Europe and elsewhere worldwide.
About Avocado Research Chemicals, Ltd.
Avocado Research Chemicals is a leading manufacturer of fine chemicals.
Avocado manufactures thousands of organic compounds in its Lancashire,
England plant, where the company employs 35 chemists working two
production shifts. The Avocado chemicals catalog of more than 11,000
products is widely distributed in Europe and other parts of the world.
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