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July 22,2010, Wilmar buys Natural Oleochemicals for $192m

July 22,2010, Wilmar buys Natural Oleochemicals for $192m

Write: Keyna [2011-05-20]
Wilmar International, the world s largest palm oil trader, agreed to buy a majority stake in a Malaysian producer of oleo-chemicals used in soaps for 450 million ringgit ($192 million).


Wilmar will buy 91.38% of Natural Oleochemicals Sdn from Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd., Wilmar said in a statement to the Singapore Stock Exchange today. Funding for the acquisition will be from internal resources and bank borrowings, it said.


Malaysia, the second-largest producer of palm oil, also represented 25% of the global production capacity of fatty acids last year. Purchasing Natural Oleochemicals would give Wilmar control over a company that accounted for 20% of Malaysia s fatty acids production capacity. Fatty acids are derived from palm oil.


Wilmar wants to diversify earnings after posting a record 2009 net income. Earlier this month, it outbid China s Bright Food Group Co. s offer for Australia s biggest sugar refiner CSR Ltd. s unit for A$1.75 billion ($2.12 billion).


The balance 8.62% of Natural Oleochemicals is held by National Land Finance Co-operative Society, the statement said. DMG & Partner Securities Pte. advised Wilmar on the transaction.