DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. and NEW YORK –
Univar Solutions, the largest distributor serving the structural pest control industry, and
AEA Investors, a leading global private investment firm, announced last week a definitive agreement under which affiliates of AEA will acquire Univar Solutions' Environmental Sciences business for $195 million.
“After careful and thorough evaluation, we are convinced that this transaction will be a 'win-win' for our Environmental Sciences dedicated employees, our loyal customers and supplier partners and for Univar Solutions,” said David Jukes, Univar Solutions president and chief executive officer. “Environmental Sciences is already well established as an industry leader in pest management, and we are confident that AEA has the right resources and vision to position the business for long term sustainable growth. We will continue our intense focus on growing the value of our core chemical distribution and ingredient business, and capturing the maximum value from the integration of the legacy Univar and Nexeo Solutions.”
Trace McEuen, vice president of Environmental Sciences, who will continue to lead the business under AEA's ownership, said, “AEA has a deep understanding of the Environmental Sciences business and our future opportunities, including our ability to meet the growing demand in our existing and adjacent end markets. As a standalone company, with the focused ownership and committed resources of AEA, we expect to be even better positioned to serve our customers and partner with suppliers as we drive growth and build on the momentum we have already created at Univar Solutions.”
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Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Univar Solutions’ Environmental Sciences serves pest management professionals in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico directly through approximately 250-plus sales and service professionals and 70 ProCenters and in Latin America and the Caribbean through a network of authorized dealer partners. The business serves the expanding markets for pest control (including structural pest, public health, wildlife, vegetation management, and turf & ornamental) with products and services, as well as educational and technology resources, including PestWeb.com, a best-in-class online resource for pest management professionals.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2019 or early 2020, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The standalone Environmental Sciences business is expected to announce a new name and brand identity upon close of the transaction.