Lesaffre expands international plant health development with acquisition of ABM

Date:05-05-2021

Lesaffre announces the acquisition of ABM, Advanced Biological Marketing, a company specialising in the development of bionutrition products for field crops in the American Midwest. With this acquisition, Agrauxine by Lesaffre, the business unit of Lesaffre specialized in crop protection, is strengthening its presence in the United States.

Lesaffre accelerates its development in the world’s largest biosolutions market

As a global player in the field of fermentation and micro-organisms, Lesaffre has been present in the United States since the 1980s and has expanded its manufacturing capabilities since then. Lesaffre currently employs over 500 people in its various US manufacturing sites and marketing centers.

Today the company announces the acquisition of ABM, a company based in Van Wert (Ohio), specializing in seed treatment with bionutrition products. ABM’s teams will join those of Agrauxine by Lesaffre, Lesaffre’s business unit dedicated to crop protection. Agrauxine by Lesaffre has been developing biosourced solutions for plant nutrition and health for more than 15 years.

Agrauxine by Lesaffre wishes to accelerate its development in the United States with this acquisition. With ABM integration, the business unit now counts nearly 40 employees in the country.

“This acquisition is part of our strategy to develop new solutions derived from micro-organisms, such as yeasts, bacteria and fungi, that respect the environment. Our R&D teams are innovating towards this ambition on a daily basis. Thanks to ABM, our geographical reach in crop bio-protection has been broadened”, says Antoine Baule, CEO of Lesaffre.

Complementary expertise allowing for synergies

This acquisition represents a good step in the development of Agrauxine by Lesaffre and allows it to achieve strong complementarities in terms of access to markets as well as in terms of biocontrol and bio-stimulation product ranges.

“Following the merger with ABM, we are taking on a whole new dimension in the American market. We have strong ambitions for growth in this market and this local presence, as close as possible to our customers, will be a considerable advantage,” adds Hugo Bony, CEO of Agrauxine by Lesaffre.

Agrauxine will pursue ABM projects, including two new biocontrol technologies. These strategic technologies will be commercialized in the US market in the next years.

“Agrauxine’s acquisition of ABM brings together two companies that develop innovative products with unique formulations. This partnership creates the first company of its kind to bring its expertise in biological seed treatment, biostimulants and foliar biopesticides for a complete range of biological products. The future is bright as our companies will combine their R&D, manufacturing, sales and marketing expertise to continue to deliver innovative solutions to our customers in North America and around the world,” says Dan Custis, CEO of ABM.