Chemicals distributor IMCD (Rotterdam / The Netherlands; www.imcdgroup.com) has a distribution partnership with Lactips (St. Jean-Bonnefonds / France; www.lactips.com) for the French company’s bio-based and biodegradable resins. The bio-based plastics will be marketed to France and the Nordic countries. Pascal Chabance, Lactips’ head of business development and sales, said there is also the potential to extend distribution to the rest of Europe.

Lactips’ pellets are marketed as 100% bio-sourced packaging for detergent products. The food-contact material is also edible and aligned with sustainability developments for the food industry, says Lactips. In 2017, the French company announced an investment for a commercial-scale plant – see Plasteurope.com of 09.02.2017. The manufacturer was formed in 2014 as a start-up based on a research project carried out at Jean-Monnet University (St. Etienne / France; www.univ-st-etienne.fr). Lactips is planning to set up a 2,500 m² plant in the medium term to raise its capacity to at least 3,000 t/y.

IMCD distributes speciality chemicals and food ingredients, with customers across the EMEA, Asia-Pacific and Americas regions. The Dutch distributor generated revenues of just under EUR 2.4 bn in 2018 and reported a 28% increase in EBITA to EUR 157.9m in the first three months of 2019. Its EMEA segment saw revenue grow 13% to EUR 358m in Q1 2019. CEO Piet van der Slikke said, “The Americas and Asia Pacific outperformed, whereas EMEA could not continue its strong growth of last year.”

With the Q1 results, he noted that the integration of the businesses IMCD bought in 2018 are progressing “according to plan.” Last year, the Dutch distributor had acquisitions in Europe (Germany's Velox) and the US (E.T. Horn) – see Plasteurope.com of 31.08.2018 – as well as India (Aroma Chemical Agencies).