MUTTENZ -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, announced that it has completed the purchase of 96, 15% of the shares in Süd-Chemie from One Equity Partners and the family shareholders.

Clariant will make a public offer to acquire the outstanding shares from Süd-Chemie minority shareholders. The overall transaction value amounts to approx. EUR 1.9 billion (CHF 2.5 billion).

"This transaction is an important milestone in Clariants history. Following the successful completion of our restructuring in 2010, the acquisition of Süd-Chemie accelerates our strategy of profitable growth", said Hariolf Kottmann, CEO of Clariant. "Together we will now start the integration process to successfully integrate Süd-Chemie into Clariant", Kottmann added.

By acquiring leading positions in the fields of process catalysts and adsorbent agents, Clariant is expanding its portfolio with two fast-growing business-units. Süd-Chemie also has a strong research and development organization focusing on market segments with significant growth potential.