US speciality chemicals manufacturer Stepan Company has purchased a solfonation production plant in Bahia, Brazil from Procter & Gamble.

Headquartered in Illinois, Stepan Company is a leading supplier of surfactants, which are used in cosmetics and cleaning products to degrease and emulsify oils and fats. 

F. Quinn Stepan, President and CEO of Stepan Company, commented, “This acquisition expands Stepan’s capabilities in Brazil.  Brazil is the world’s fifth most populous country and has a growing middle class.  As the country’s usage of laundry products transitions from soap bars to powders to liquids, surfactant use expands. 

“Surfactants used in functional applications, including the large Brazilian agricultural industry, are also increasing.  Brazil is a strategic priority for Stepan. This acquisition is synergistic with our existing Vespasiano, Brazil plant and provides an opportunity to serve the growing northeast of Brazil.”