Brenntag buys U.S. lubricants distributor

German chemicals distributor Brenntag AG has agreed to take over U.S. lubricants and chemical distributor Lubrication Services (LSi) for US$42 million, the company said.
LSi serves the United States oil and gas industry through a network of facilities in six states that cover much of the U.S. shale gas plays.
Lubrication Services “has a market position, expertise and infrastructure that will allow us to further increase our participation in the expected rapid growth related to the shale plays,” says Anthony Gerace, executive vice president of Brenntag North America.
Lsi specializes in the distribution of natural gas engine, industrial, commercial, and automotive lubricants for companies such as ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Citgo, Houghton, Summit and Camco.
Brenntag, headquartered in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, has nearly 13,000 employees and operates a network of more than 400 locations in 70 countries.
The deal is expected to close within a few weeks, subject to closing conditions.
(March 14, 2013)