Soliance strengthens position in the US

13-Oct-2008 - Last updated on 14-Oct-2008 at 11:27 GMT

French active cosmetic ingredients company Soliance has created a new US subsidiary as a means of expanding its business into the North American market.

Soliance US Corporation will be positioned to expand the company’s specialization in green active ingredients, tapping into huge market growth for functional and effective natural cosmetic products.

The company says that it is making a significant investment into the new US operations as a means of developing its presence, services and general communications in a market that is rapidly catching up with Europe in the natural field.

Building on existing position

Although the company has already been operating in the US market for more than 10 years now, it says the move will help it to build on the success products such as Vegetan Hyaluronic Acid, Easyliance, Dakaline and Renovhyal have already had there.

Until recent years Soliance has been mainly focused on supplying the domestic market, which is currently one of the largest in the world for natural products.

However, more recently its focus has been to expand into new markets as a means of growing the business through increased global reach.

Base for further development

Soliance US Corporation will be concerned with marketing, sales and technical support for the US market, as well as providing a basis for further developments in R&D and industrial operations in the country, the company says.

The operations will be led up by Soliance’s former head of export activities, Paolo Marchesi, who has been appointed as vice president of sales and chief operating officer for the new subsidiary.

The move forms part of the company's aim to derive 50 per cent of its sales from the export markets in the future, with the UK, US, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Korea and Taiwan coming to the fore as the biggest customers.

Soliance is a subsidiary of the French group ARD (Agro Industrie Recherches et Développements), a private research center of cereal and sugar cooperatives of the Champagne Ardenne region and Chamtor.

Most notably, the group has developed a production process for hyaluronic acid, as well as a range of 100 per cent vegetable surfactants.