NETHERLANDS- DSM and Firmenich have finally completed their ‘merger of equals’ and appointed Dimitri de Vreeze as CEO of the enlarged business company, DSM-Firmenich, to strengthen their footprint in nutrition, beauty, and well-being. 

The merger was approved by shareholders during the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in January earlier this year, 

This is a momentous day in the long history of DSM. We are grateful for our shareholders’ strong support for this merger… DSM-Firmenich will be uniquely positioned to best anticipate and address the changing needs of consumers, unlocking new opportunities that benefit our customers, our people, and the wider world,” Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze, Co-CEOs of DSM, commented during the EGM. 

DSM is a global science-based company in health, nutrition, and biosciences with solutions for animal nutrition, human nutrition & care, and food & beverage, while Firmenich is a private Swiss company in the fragrance and flavor business, employing 10,000 people across 46 manufacturing plants and six research and development centers.

The mega-merger combines the capabilities of two giants, bringing along a team of nearly 30,000 employees, a combined revenue of more than US$13bn, and what its decision-makers describe as ‘unparalleled’ capabilities built on over a century of ‘cutting-edge’ science.

I’m so happy that, after 12 months of hard work, we now can finally say that a new company has emerged. This is Day 1, we are now part of a new company called DSM-Firmenich,” Ivo Lansbergen, president of DSM-Firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health said at the DSM World Nutrition Forum.

DSM-Firmenich will be composed of four business units: Animal Nutrition & Health, Health, Nutrition & Care, Taste, Texture & Health, and Perfumery & Beauty.

The brand reflects the company’s purpose and values and is the expression of a shared identity. The brand symbolizes the company’s mission to combine what is essential for life, desirable for consumers, and more sustainable for the planet,” the company said in a press release.

Kansas facility to boost premixes production 

Meanwhile, DSM announced plans to build a next-generation nutritional premix plant in Kansas to supply the pet food industry with high-quality nutritional premixes for use in branded pet food products worldwide. 

The facility is likely to break ground in July 2023 and be fully operational by early 2025.

The pet food industry has been looking for a better source for the highest quality, traceable, and reliable nutritional ingredients for their products, and we are thrilled to be able to deliver for the industry and for ‘pet parents’ with this new facility in Tonganoxie,” said Dimitri de Vreeze. 

The facility, which will create 28 jobs, will be strategically located in the KC Animal Health Corridor, close to many industry-leading pet food manufacturers, reducing supply chain risk and logistics expenses.

DSM is a welcome addition to Kansas and the Animal Health Corridor,” said Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. “Having another industry leader located here further enhances the globally recognized animal health ecosystem that is anchored in Kansas.

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