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Borealis establishes direct sales presence in South Africa

Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, announces the establishment of a new sales entity in Johannesburg, South Africa. The new office, scheduled to open in August 2017, will enable Borealis to provide improved customer service thanks to a balanced mix of direct and indirect sales activities.

South Africa is an expanding market with especially interesting growth opportunities in plastics. Borealis aims to capitalise on this potential by stepping up its direct sales activities, with focus on the Pipe and Consumer Products segments. Sourcing will continue from both Borealis in Europe and Borouge in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The new legal entity, registered and located in Johannesburg, will be headed by Andrew Pienaar, most recently of Polysaf Chemical (Pty) Ltd in South Africa.

Borealis has had a presence on the South African market for over two decades by way of its agent, Chemimpo, which became part of the IMCD Group in 2013. This mutually beneficial partnership, which is particularly strong in the Energy segment, has now been extended by way of a new distribution agreement. Borealis and IMCD will work closely with their existing customers to establish the most suitable customer interfaces for each party. Customers in the region can continue to rely on the customarily short lead times thanks to locally stored products.

"Thanks in great measure to our longstanding partnership with IMCD, we have a solid footing and excellent image in South Africa," says Alfred Stern, Borealis executive vice-president polyolefins and innovation & technology. "Borealis’ long-term commitment to delivering value-added products as efficiently as possible is bolstered by the establishment of this new direct sales entity."