Belchim Crop Protection NV to take stake in Canadian company Engage Agro Corp

Belchim Crop Protection NV, Londerzeel, Belgium acquired a significant minority stake in the Canadian company, Engage Agro Corporation, of Ontario, Canada. The deal, which is about to be closed in May 2016, was signed between Dirk Putteman, CEO of Belchim Crop Protection and Ray Chyc of Engage Agro, together with a number of other shareholders.

 

Engage Agro is based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and distributes products from a large range of international R&D based companies. The company employs 40 people and is one of the largest independent crop protection distribution companies in Canada.  The company’s primary focus is to develop, register and market crop protection & crop enhancement products for the Canadian market.

 

The synergies between Belchim Crop Protection and Engage Agro will make this company one of the leading privately-owned distribution companies in the Canadian Market. 

 

Today Belchim Crop Protection has strong market positions in EU28 countries. The company portfolio consists of a wide range of crop protection products including specialties in important European crops like potatoes, vines, vegetables and corn.

 

According to Mr. Putteman, the investment in Engage Agro “is a great opportunity to expand and leverage Belchim’s unique, customer-focused skills and to gain access for our (specialty) agchem portfolio in the overseas markets”.  “I am particularly excited about this investment because of the potential synergies and the like-minded approach Mr. Chyc and I have for focusing on and meeting our customers’ needs” claimed Mr. Putteman.

 

Ray Chyc, of Engage Agro, echoes Mr. Putteman’s sentiments.  “We have a tremendous family at Engage, and we are ecstatic to now be partnering with a family-owned company like Belchim who has the same roots and core values as we do.  Work boots to boardrooms, we like to get things done.  We now especially look forward to continue to work with growers across Canada and suppliers around the globe to continue to bring unique, value-added products to the Canadian market, as we have been doing for the last 20 years.”

 

The company plans to run “business as usual” out of its office in Guelph, Ontario.