Neogen Corp. announced Dec. 1 that it has acquired U.K.-based Quat-Chem Ltd., a chemical company specializing in the development, manufacture and sale of agricultural, industrial and food processing biocidal hygiene products, including cleaners and disinfectants.

Quat-Chem is a private company with a 20-year history of consistent growth that manufactures a full line of complete disinfectant and cleaner products for dairy hygiene and poultry and swine biosecurity applications. The company sells its products on a global basis, with a focus on the U.K., European Union, Middle East and Asia, including a particular focus on China. Quat-Chem has annual revenues of approximately $12 million.

"Quat-Chem's broad line of products, chemical manufacturing facilities, personnel and existing business made the company an attractive acquisition opportunity for us. We're very pleased to announce that Quat-Chem has joined Neogen," said Dr. Jason Lilly, Neogen vice president of corporate development. "This acquisition is another step, along with our May 2016 acquisition of Preserve International, towards Neogen becoming a global biosecurity product leader."

Quat-Chem scientific director Dr. Rubinah Chowdhary said, "Quat-Chem's product development activities and its manufacturing capabilities in Europe provide a complementary fit to Neogen's expanding biosecurity business. The importance of biosecurity is internationally recognized as critical to safeguarding livestock health and food safety. The demand for safe, performance-tested disinfection products offers considerable potential. With Neogen's expertise in biosecurity and its global reach, we feel Quat-Chem and its products are in good hands."

Quat-Chem is headquartered in Rochdale, England, in an accredited, recently expanded facility, and its operations will be managed by the Neogen Europe subsidiary based in Scotland.

Quat-Chem has a strong history in nitrogen-based chemistry as an international supplier of the biocidal active benzalkonium chloride, as well as amine oxide, a key surfactant.

"Adding Quat-Chem's biosecurity products and capabilities will complement what we can offer to our customers," said Dr. Stephen Holmes, managing director of Neogen Europe. "Our new operation in Rochdale will work in close cooperation with our nearby Lab M location."

Terms of the current agreement were not disclosed.

Neogen's acquisition of Quat-Chem is the latest in its strategy of expanding the company's biosecurity business, which began in 2003 with its acquisition of rodenticides, cleaners and disinfectants from ConAgra, according to the announcement. The expansion continued with Neogen's 2008 acquisition of DuPont's biosecurity product line, the 2014 acquisition of Chem-Tech and the 2016 acquisitions of Preserve International and Virbac's rodenticides.

Neogen develops and markets products dedicated to food and animal safety. Its Food Safety Division markets dehydrated culture media and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases and sanitation concerns. Neogen's Animal Safety Division develops animal genomics and also manufactures and distributes a variety of animal health care products, including diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, veterinary instruments, wound care and disinfectants.