Joining J.M. Huber brings changes to Biolchim Group

Biolchim Group, a world-leading producer and distributor of a full range of specialty plant nutrition and biostimulants, was acquired in 2022 by J.M. Huber Corporation, an international company specializing in manufacturing engineered materials established in 1883. Currently, the Biolchim Group has become a key part of the strategic foundation of the Huber AgroSolutions business unit of Huber Engineered Materials, which also includes Miller Chemical & Fertilizer.

Biolchim has doubled in size since 2016 and recorded double-digit growth in 2022. How will this acquisition contribute to Biolchim’s future growth? How will the global trends in the biostimulant industry reshape the company? Victor Dean, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Huber AgroSolutions, and Anna Fontana, Product Manager at Biolchim, shared their views in this interview.

What are you most proud of when you look back on Biolchim’s development?

The tremendous growth that the company achieved over the past few years, despite the difficulties due to the pandemic and international instability, certainly makes us very proud. It is proof of our teams’ ability to adapt and deliver results even in unprecedented conditions. The achievements, such as doubling the company’s size since 2016, paved the way for the acquisition by J.M. Huber, a global family-owned specialty engineered materials manufacturing company. Biolchim is now part of Huber AgroSolutions, as a business unit within Huber Engineered Materials consisting of several companies located across the world, such as Miller Chemical, which have been solving tough problems for growers globally since 1937.

Biolchim is a leading company in the production and commercialization of crop nutrition and biostimulant products with over 50 years of history, but is the company going to expand into other specialty products, such as microbials?  

For agriculture, microbials represent a very versatile and powerful technology that has a positive, long-lasting impact on both the soil and the environment. Biolchim’s invested in the development of effective and sustainable microbial-based products, like Vhera, which were launched in the last few years to expand the company’s product portfolio. These products have the potential to be used alone or together with traditional biostimulants, to maximize productivity while maintaining a fertile and healthy soil both in conventional and organic agriculture. 

Around a year has passed since the announcement of Biolchim’s acquisition by J.M. Huber Corporation. Have there been any changes at Biolchim over the past year?

The acquisition has brought a positive wave of openness and collaboration. Cooperating closely with our colleagues overseas, all of us had the opportunity to discover new ways of working and interacting, which is very enriching from both a professional and a personal perspective. There have been also changes in the organization structure to leverage each company’s strengths and exploit synergies while optimizing processes and workflows. However, we have not changed each company’s high-touch customer experience model, where we are jointly viewed as a trusted supplier that delivers high quality and value creating solutions.  

The cross-selling of the products of Biolchim and Huber AgroSolutions will inevitably occur. What new launches can we expect in the near future? How will Biolchim and Huber AgroSolutions find synergies and opportunities in the market?

The complementary sales footprint of the combined organizations will enable expanded customer and product access in key agricultural regions globally. Huber AgroSolutions is committed to serving the Biolchim Group’s existing customer base and will advance the sales of its products through strong relationships with US-based growers and complementary distribution networks in Latin America and select countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Biolchim Group’s sales channels are ideally suited to enhance the sales of various Miller products via its strength in Europe and its global subsidiary network.

Could you share some insights on the global trends in the biostimulant industry? Will they reshape Biolchim/ Huber AgroSolutions in any way?

Biostimulants represent an important technology for the agricultural industry, as they enable growers to respond more efficiently to the changes influencing global food production. Food demand is increasing, therefore, food production has to grow sustainably, while climate change requires crops to withstand extreme environmental events, like drought, heat and late frosts. In this scenario, biostimulants are a tool for farmers to help maintain adequately high yields and good quality production, so their demand is expected to grow. Moreover, policies supporting the adoption of organic agriculture, together with the consumers’ request for high quality food, will encourage the use of biostimulants in organic farming. Biolchim and Huber AgroSolutions will continue to respond to the market demand for biostimulants as we have done so far, and even more as biostimulants are now being adopted in a growing number of countries for use in diverse agronomic conditions.

This interview was originally published in the magazine 2023 Biologicals Special.