distributionconcepts.We’retruebusinesspartners,”saysdirectorValneLucasVieira.
VieiraalsotellsusthathiscareerstartedatHoechstQuímica,andthatthereheandhispar-
tnersallfirstmet.“SoweservedasdirectorsformanyyearsatHoechst,aGermany-based
companythatusedtobereallyimportantbackinthe1970’sand80’sinthepharmaceutical,
cropprotectionandindustrialchemicalindustries,wherewe’dtakepartineverycorporate
activity.Thethreeofusworkeddirectly inamanagementcapacity inthe industrialchemi-
cal business, coveringeverything frompigments toengineeringplastics, tocolorants, to
textiles,to leathergoods,torefrigerationgasesandtofoods—inotherwords,weranthe
businessofsupplyingadditivestoalloftheseindustries.Asthemarketplaceevolved,sodid
ouremployer,asitchangedtobetterserveitscustomers,andwealwaysworkedusingthe
bestmarketingandproductstewardshiptools.Soweworkedforthatmajorcompanyfor
33years,untilourretirement,and itwasthenthatwerealizedwestillhada lotofstuffto
getdone.Andsowecameupwiththeideaofinvestingallofourexperienceintoabusiness
ventureandeventuallycreatedClariquímica.”
Knowledgeableaboutproduct,markets,andespeciallybusinesspartners,Vieirapointsout
thatthethreepartnersthoroughlyknewallofthephilosophyandwayadifferentwayof
doingbusiness inthechemicaldistributionsector.“Asdistributionexpandsandbranches
out intoBrazil’seconomicactivity, it’sgettingtoapointofnoreturn.However, thereare
variouswaysofpresentingyourselftothemarketplace,andthatwasexactlywhatwewere
highlyexperiencedwith.Infact,Hoechsthadadistributionbusiness,andSergiowasitschief
executiveofficer.Andallofthatbusinessbackgroundthatwehadprovidedthebasis for
ourClariquímicaproject,whichwasbuiltonqualityproducts, knowledgeofourmarkets
served,andmanagementofgoodpartnerrelationships.Whileourcompany is10yearsold
now, it isbuiltonmorethan40years’experiencethatwegained inourpreviouscareers.”
GTMCOMPLETESACQUISITIONOFQUANTIQ INBRAZIL
GTMHoldings,S.A.(GTM),aleadingchemicaldistributorinLatinAmerica,hasannouncedthe
completionofitsacquisitionofBrazil’slargestchemicaldistributor,quantiQ,fromBraskem,
which is, for itspart,no lessthanthe largestpetrochemicalcompany intheAmericas.The
transactionwascompleteduponapprovalofthedealbyBrazil’sAntitrustAdministrative
Council(CADE,the initials inPortuguese).
Thedeal was announced to themarket in January and is valued at R$ 550million. By
acquiringquantiQ, GTMbrings aunique and fullydevelopedproduct range intoGTM’s
existingchemicaldistributionbusiness inBrazil,creatingthe largest independentchemical
distributionplatform inLatinAmerica,therebysolidifyingGTM’s leadershipposition inthe
LatinAmericanmarketplace.
AdventInternational,oneofthe largestandmostexperiencedglobalprivateequity inves-
tors, isthecontrollingshareholderofGTMandprovidedequityfinancingtosupportGTM’s
acquisitionofquantiQ.
Established in 1991 as IpirangaQuímica, quantiQhasa long track record in the chemical
industryand isawell-recognizedbrand. Thecompanyhasacomprehensiveportfolioof
commodities,performanceandspecialtychemicals,whileprovidingvalue-addedservices
over5,000customers in50 industrysegments, includingcosmetics,pharmaceuticals,and
humannutrition.quantiQistheleadingchemicaldistributorinBrazil,inafragmentedmarket
wherethetop-10playershaveonlya30-percentmarketshare.
quantiQandGTMwill nowbegin to integrateoperations, and together theywill run62
distributioncenters in12countriesacrossLatinAmerica,plusnineapplication laboratories,
andservemore than 15,000customers inover50different industries.Asa result,GTM’s
expandedportfoliowillnowbeabletoprovidebothcustomersandsupplierswithabroad
chemicaldistributionnetworkandawider,moreinnovativeproductrangefeaturingcutting-
-edgetechnologies.
