ICL to acquire Biogema

Tel Aviv-Israel Chemicals Ltd.’s ICL Performance Products has signed an agreement with the owners of Biogema S. A., a company based at Aix-en-Provence, France, to acquire the company effective Jan. 1, 2008. The business will be integrated with ICL’s existing fire safety division. Biogema is active in the production and sales of wildfire retardants. Major products are formulations, based on special phosphates. After the sale, Mr. Patrice Oegema will stay involved with the business and consult for the new management. This acquisition follows the purchase of Fire-Trol earlier this year, a Canadian producer of wildfire retardants that was integrated with the North American Fire Safety division acquired as part of Astaris in 2005. ICL says Biogema adds an important European manufacturing, logistics, and support group to ICL’s fire safety business.