ANTWERP: Azelis, a leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Haarla Oy, a specialty distributor of food ingredients and industrial chemicals based in Finland.

Haarla Oy has a well-established position in the food ingredients market and across various industrial chemicals segments, and its product portfolio strategically enhances Azelis’ lateral value chain, reinforcing its footprint in Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals in the Nordics.

Haarla Oy brings a diversified base of over 300 customers and longstanding business relationships with renowned principals, which complements Azelis’ own set of principal partnerships for the region.

Founded in 1962 by the Haarla family, and headquartered in Tampere, Finland, the company employs 31 staff, including experienced sales and technical teams. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2024, after fulfillment of customary closing conditions.

Julius Haarla, co-owner and Chief Executive Officer at Haarla Oy, comments: “We are pleased to become part of the Azelis team, allowing us to further develop our business through growth opportunities. We share common values and ‘modi operandi’, and we look forward to developing our cross-selling activities and partnering with blue-chip principals. Together, our activities create an enhanced offering for our customers, expanding on the solutions we already provide.”

Gert Schnoor, Managing Director Azelis Nordics, adds: “The addition of Haarla to the Azelis group is consistent with our objective to strengthen our position in the markets we serve. Leveraging the local expertise of the Haarla team, this acquisition allows us to better serve our customers in Finland and Sweden with a broader portfolio and innovative solutions, thereby reinforcing our market position in the Nordic region.”

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