French chemicals firm opens Nairobi office

French speciality chemical distributor Safic-Alcan has made a foray in Kenya with the launch of a new subsidiary in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | POOL    

By EDNA MWENDA More by this Author

French speciality chemical distributor Safic-Alcan has made a foray in Kenya with the launch of a new subsidiary in Nairobi, expanding its presence in the

African continent.

Safic-Alcan East Africa will serve other markets in the East African region including Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"We are thrilled to be expanding our presence in Africa, a continent that is becoming increasingly important in the formulating industry," said Yann Lissillour, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Safic-Alcan group.

The firm says the new office in Kenya will complement Safic-Alcan's existing regional hubs in South Africa and Egypt, enabling the company to better cater to the needs of its growing customer base across the continent.

The company's efforts in the East African market will be spearheaded by Philip Kamau who was appointed as Development Director East Africa.

"By investing in Africa, we are catering to a consumer market of 250 million people in Eastern Africa, and we are confident that our new subsidiary in Kenya will help us better serve our customers and grow our business in the region," added Mr Lissillour.

The French company develops and provides a wide range of polymers, materials and additives for the rubber, coatings, adhesives, thermoplastics, polyurethane, lubricants, detergency, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals industries.

It has a network of 35 offices strategically located in Europe, Turkey, the Middle East, North America, Mexico, South America, China and South Africa, and 780 people worldwide.

The company also announced that it has entered into an extended distribution agreement with Orion Engineered Carbons in Eastern Africa, effective May 1st, 2023.

The distribution agreement will cover rubber carbon black, for applications such as mechanical rubber goods, coating and ink systems, polymers and other special applications.

“We are excited to further extend our long-running partnership with Orion Engineered Carbons, a global leader in engineered carbon blacks,” said Mr Kamau.

“We are confident that this new agreement will further strengthen our relationship with Orion and will allow us to enhance our product portfolio and product offering in Eastern Africa and thus satisfy a wider range of customers.”

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