23 Sep 2003
Univar and ExxonMobil Chemical sign agreement for distribution of PolyAlphaOlephins and other synthetic basestocks in Europe
New agreement provides broad product portfolio and logistics for the European lubricants industry
European lubricant manufacturers now have expanded options for local supply of polyalphaolefins and other synthetic basestocks following the signing of a distribution agreement between ExxonMobil Chemical and Univar. Univar will support ExxonMobil Chemical's Synthetics business in Europe with local supply points in Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Benelux and Switzerland.
Univar, a global leader in the distribution of chemical products and related services provider, has a pan-European organisation and strong chemical industry focus, especially in the lubricants market.
“We sought a distributor able to provide a dedicated focus on the European lubricants business to support local service to our customers,” says Fabrizio Portinari, ExxonMobil Chemical’s Synthetics manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “Univar has comprehensive logistics and a strong product management team to support its excellent local sales force and extensive customer knowledge at country level.”
ExxonMobil Chemical’s SpectraSynTM polyalphaolefins, SpectraSyn UltraTM Hi VI PAO, SynessticTM AN (alkylated naphthalene) Blendstocks and EsterexTM synthetic esters complement the wide portfolio of specialty and commodity additives for the lubricants market already distributed by Univar.
“Univar is now an important part of the ExxonMobil Chemical team,” says Henri-Marc Perrin, European business co-ordinator for Univar Europe. “The combination of our pan-European coverage and market knowledge provide the perfect service to complement ExxonMobil Chemical’s position as the leading global manufacturer of polyalphaolefins and synthetic esters.”
As a result of the new distribution agreement, Univar will be optimising the supply chain between ExxonMobil Chemical’s production facilities and its own storage locations to provide lubricant manufacturers with the most efficient service.
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Notes for editors
The term "ExxonMobil Chemical" refers collectively to some or all of the companies affiliated with Exxon Mobil Corporation which have chemical manufacturing and/or marketing operations around the world. Esterex, SpectraSyn, SpectraSyn Ultra and Synesstic are trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
About Univar
Univar is the leading independent chemical distributor in the world. Univar is engaged in the chemical distribution business throughout both North America and Europe. Univar sells and delivers chemical, polymer and food ingredients products, the majority of which are “specialties”, to some 250,000 industrial end-users. In addition, Univar provides a number of related services to its customers, such as blending, managing customer inventories, providing technical support and packaging and labelling.
Univar operates a network of 195 distribution centres, spread across the United States, Canada and 14 European countries. In 2001, Univar generated net sales of EUR 4.8 billion and group operating income (including income from equity participations) of EUR 81.6 million. Univar has approximately 7,000 employees based throughout North America and Europe. The company is headquartered in The Netherlands, with North American offices in Bellevue, Washington. For more information: www.univarcorp.com and www.exxonmobilsynthetics.com