Kemira boosts paper chemicals

Kemira will buy Lanxess' paper chemicals business for slightly more than $100 million. The unit had sales last year of approximately $290 million, primarily in colorants, optical brighteners, and sizing. Plants are in the U.S. and Germany, with a total of 375 employees. The acquisition will increase Kemira's pulp and paper chemicals sales to about $1.3 billion per year. "This agreement will raise Kemira to be the biggest supplier in pulp and paper chemicals globally," says Lauri Junnila, president of the Kemira business. According to Lanxess, the unit had losses in 2003 and 2004 but performed better in 2005.