Israel Chemicals to buy Ripplewood's Supresta

Israel Chemicals Ltd. has agreed to purchase Supresta, a manufacturer of elemental phosphorus-based products, from private equity firm Ripplewood Holdings. ICL will pay $352 million for Suprestra, which employs 300 people and had 2006 revenues of $249 million. ICL will get plants in the U.S. and Germany that manufacture flame retardants, plasticizers, functional fluids, and other products. The acquisition builds upon ICL's 2005 purchase of the phosphoric acid and derivatives joint venture Astaris from FMC and Solutia for $255 million. ICL, which had 2006 sales of nearly $3 billion, already produces fertilizers, bromine, magnesium, and industrial products. Ripplewood formed Supresta in July 2004 when it acquired Akzo Nobel's phosphorus derivatives business for $271 million. Supresta's performance under Ripplewood was mixed. Sales in 2006 were the same as in 2005, and operating profits were $7.5 million, down from $12.6 million in 2005. In the first five months of 2007, operating profits were $4.8 million, up from $2.7 million in the comparable 2006 period.