Berkem Group, a leading player in plant-based chemistry, today announced the completion of the acquisition of Biopress, a French producer of natural 100% vegetable oils and proteins.
Olivier FAHY, Chairman and CEO of the Berkem Group, said: " Raw material sourcing has always been a real area of expertise for the Berkem Group and, in the face of an inflationary and geopolitically complex environment, we felt it was necessary to internalize this skill via a dedicated subsidiary. With the acquisition of Biopress, the Berkem Group now has control over its supply of vegetable oils, essential raw materials for its extraction and formulation activities, while significantly increasing its storage capacity in the direct vicinity of its production facilities. Through local sourcing and 100% vegetable oils, we will strengthen our Health, Beauty & Nutrition, Industry and Construction & Materials divisions, which benefit fully from the recognized virtues of so-called technical vegetable oils and vegetable proteins. Finally, this acquisition opens the door to a new market, the food industry, where we intend to develop new sustainable solutions for industrialists in demand for naturalness.. "
Located in Tonneins (Lot-et-Garonne), Biopress is one of the first French agri-food companies to specialize in the production of vegetable oils extracted from organic oilseeds grown on local farms. With properties similar to those of petroleum derivatives, while being renewable and biodegradable resources, vegetable oils can be used in a wide variety of applications such as cosmetics, coatings, inks and lubricants. Also, the vegetable proteins contained in oil cakes, resulting from the crushing process, which consists in extracting the oil from the seeds, are particularly sought after in the nutraceutical field.
Reinforcement and extension of the Berkem Group's offer
With this acquisition, the Berkem Group is consolidating its offer for the "Health, Beauty & Nutrition" business line and more specifically for the cosmetics market for the virtues of its oils and the nutraceutical market for the benefits provided by plant proteins. This operation is fully in line with the acquisition of i.Bioceuticals, a North American distributor of nutritional supplements, announced on February 16, 2023, and opens the way to new growth prospects in this booming market.
Surfactants derived from these vegetable oils are also used in many industrial applications, being particularly sought after for their solubilizing, detergent, wetting or emulsifying properties. These products will therefore find outlets in sectors already addressed by the Group. Finally, the integration of Biopress will provide Berkem Group with new commercial opportunities in the food industry.
Securing a local supply of raw materials
With this acquisition, Berkem Group adds to its value chain the sourcing of a raw material essential to its activity of integrating plant-based chemistry. The Group now benefits from a local supply of technical vegetable oils, as Biopress is geographically close to the Group's plant located in Gardonne in southwest France. The Biopress facilities also provide the Group with significant new storage space in anticipation of future growth. The Group can thus expand its production capacity and ensure the processing of more than 8,000 tons of plants per year.
Terms of the operation
This company has been integrated since 1 January 2007.er The acquisition of Biopress was made by Berkem Développement (a 100% subsidiary of the Berkem Group). The acquisition of Biopress, carried out by Berkem Développement (a 100% subsidiary of the Berkem Group), was paid for entirely in cash and financed out of equity. The 11 employees of Biopress joined the Berkem Group on January 1, 2007.er April 2023.
