Four business units of the Dutch group Royal Schouten have merged to form a new company called Acatris. The combined strengths of the four companies - Daminco, Orffa Health & Nutrition, Schouten USA and SoyLife Nederland - will give Acatris a strong position in the global food and health ingredient market.
The new company will will officially come into being on 1 June 2002.
Royal Schouten has been active in the fields of animal feed, pharmaceutical ingredients and food ingredients for more than a century, and Acatris will consolidate the bulk of its food and health activities.
Each of the merging companies has been successful in markets related to food and health ingredients. Daminco produces and markets a wide range of food ingredients in the North American market, from antioxidant solutions and vitamin and mineral enrichment blends to lubricants and bakery dough improvers. Orffa Health & Nutrition offers a range of health and food ingredients, supplied through local offices and warehouses throughout Europe.
Schouten USA is the exclusive North American sales representative for SoyLife and FenuLife, two innovative health ingredients produced by the group. SoyLife Nederland is the producer and marketer of SoyLife soy germ concentrates and extract, one of the leading isoflavone products on the market.
The merger and the Acatris name will be introduced during May and June by means of a global advertising campaign. The theme of the campaign - We feel strong - is said to emphasise the strength of the new company and the synergies that the merger creates.