Arista Lifesciences generates new energy in plant protection

At the end of 2014, the American chemical conglomerate Platform Specialty Products acquired Agriphar and Chemtura Agrosolutions, and in February 2015 – also Arysta, to create a vertically integrated business for agrochemicals and bioproducts under the name Arysta Lifescience. With the merger of the three companies, the newly formed Arysta Lifescience became a modern agrochemical and bioproduct company, with $2.2 billion in sales for 2014, a rich portfolio of complementary products, and expanded geographical presence in more than 125 countries worldwide. For the development of the company and its place in the Bulgarian agricultural market, we talk with Petko Ivanov, Director of Arysta Lifescience for Bulgaria.

Interview: Emil Ivanov

• Mr. Ivanov, in mid-2015, Arysta Lifescience announced its new structures in Europe. What has been happening since then?
• The current year is very intense and very important for us. The process of integrating three companies into one is underway – an extremely complex and difficult process, given the fact that each company has its own specifics, different ways of working, different procedures, systems, and departments. And all of this must happen without harming our work with our clients, without delaying deliveries, and without reducing sales.

• Is there a secret to achieving this?
• Everything must be planned, and the most important thing is not to rush...

• What is the history of this merger?
• In October – November 2014, the American chemical conglomerate Platform Specialty Products acquired Agriphar and Chemtura Agrosolutions, and in February 2015 – also Arysta, to create a vertically integrated business for agrochemicals and bioproducts under the name Arysta Lifescience.

Arysta was founded in 2001 by Tomen and Nichimen and soon became the world's largest private agrochemical and bioproduct company with sales of over $1.5 billion in 2013 and market presence in over 100 countries worldwide.

Chemtura AgroSolutions was the agribusiness division of the Chemtura corporation. Its foundations were laid as early as 1970-1989 by Uniroyal Chemical in the USA. Over half a century, the business acquired a portfolio of leading products – seed disinfectants, acaricides, insecticides, herbicides, plant growth regulators, and adjuvants, with over 1500 registrations in more than 100 countries worldwide and a significant presence in rapidly developing markets such as Brazil and China.

The Agriphar Group is a descendant of the Belgian agrochemical company Chimac-Agriphar, founded in the seventies of the last century. After a series of investments and consolidations in its own formulation and packaging facilities in Belgium, during 2005-2011 Agriphar acquired several companies in Southern Europe and established itself as a leader in Europe in the development, registration, and distribution of a wide range of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides.

With the merger of the three companies, the newly formed Arysta Lifescience became a powerful agrochemical and bioproduct company, with $2.2 billion in sales for 2014, a rich portfolio of complementary products, and expanded geographical presence in more than 125 countries worldwide.

• What does this merger bring, what are the strengths of the new company?
• This is perhaps the most exciting aspect of the creation of Arysta Lifescience, as the result is a unique synergy both in terms of the product list and the company's geographical positioning on a global scale.
  Regarding the product list, we are happy that the products of the three companies complement each other and there are almost no identical or competing products. Furthermore, Arysta Lifescience's portfolio becomes very comprehensive – we have not only the main groups – herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, but also seed treatment products, a rich range of adjuvants, the new bio-directions are strongly represented, including products for "innovative nutrition," as well as bioinsecticides, biofungicides. We also have a section of products for storage and household pests.

In terms of geography, the new Arysta Lifescience has a strong presence not only in traditional markets such as Europe, North America, but also in the rapidly developing emerging markets of South America, Asia, and especially Africa.

• What's new in Bulgaria?
• As already mentioned, the aspiration here is also towards development and growth, but carefully! We will continue working with all existing partners. We will increase the team in Bulgaria; we already have a newly appointed specialist for product registrations. I take this moment to mention that, although not a typical research and development company, Arysta Lifescience works in close cooperation with such firms; we have a number of patented products and expect new ones.

We will expand our presence in locations – our main priority is the clients – their needs for products and technologies.

I would like to take this moment to greet all your readers, current and future clients of Arysta Lifescience, and to wish them a successful end to 2015 and an even more successful New Year.