Chicago-based CC Industries (CCI) has acquired Foremark Performance Chemicals from SK Capital Partners. No financial details were disclosed. CEO Randy Owens and the rest of the management team will stay in place and Foremark will continue to operate as a stand-alone entity.

Foremark produces proprietary natural gas sweeteners, chemical building blocks and slow-release fertilisers from a highly automated, vertically integrated facility at League, Texas. Its customer base is mainly the Gulf Coast region of the US.

Karan Chechi of ChemAnalyst looks at why demand is growing for a key alternative to agrochemicals

Agrochemicals such as pesticides, fertilisers and plant growth enhancers have played a crucial role over the last century. They allowed agricultural productivity to keep up with population growth and saved billions from starvation.