The opening of the regional office in Singapore is the latest in a succession of steps that IMCD Group has taken over the recent years to build a stronghold in Asia following the opening of a personal care applications laboratory in Malaysia earlier this year.
Piet van der Slikke, IMCD Group's CEO, commented: "Having gained the reputation of being a highly transparent partner in Europe, we are now aiming to become a preferred distributor for the leading suppliers of specialty products in Asia.”
“IMCD wants to apply the capabilities and knowhow acquired in Europe to the same sectors in the Asian markets."
A further step
The Netherlands-based company says this step is a further formalization of the Group's strong focus on Asia-Pacific and strategy to strengthen its position in this region.
The regional office in Singapore will oversee the corporate and business strategies in this region where IMCD is already active in five countries, generating an annual turnover of €150m.
As part of the expansion IMCD has also appointed Albert Stevens as vice president Asia, to oversee the project, and the company’s operations in the region.
The specialty chemical firm had already opened a new personal care applications laboratory in Selangor, Malaysia as it looks to target significant growth potential in that market.
Building on growth potential
The laboratory brought the company’s international network to a total of eight facilities, helping to forge a stronger global distribution network, as well as taking advantage of a stronger position to grow in the Malaysian market as well as the Asia Pacific region.
"Having secured one of the leading distribution positions in Europe, IMCD Group has been looking for further growth in Asia-Pacific," a company spokesperson told Cosmetics Design. "IMCD has been successfully operational in Asia for a number of years and our branch in Australia has a long-standing presence in the region."
For the personal care market the company already has research laboratories established in both Italy and South Africa, while facilities in Germany, Belgium, India and Sweden are devoted to coatings and in Belgium for food and nutrition.
It also has an established distribution network for its personal care portfolio in Malaysia, and also serves other categories there, including adhesives, coatings, oleo chemicals, and the household market.