German chemical distributor Brenntag AG last Thursday announced an expansion of its lubricants business in North America by signing agreements to acquire two leading distributors: J.A.M. Distributing Company, LLC, and related entities, headquartered in Houston, Texas, as well as G.H. Berlin-Windward, headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire. The investment for both acquisitions totals $440 million.

Both companies offer integrated product and service solutions focused on lubricants servicing to industrial, commercial, automotive, and marine end markets in the Gulf Coast, Texas and the northeast United States, respectively. From it's web site, J.A.M. Distributing Company, established in 1932, is a full line ExxonMobil distributor with distribution and service facilities in greater Houston, the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex, as well as the Beaumont, Lufkin, Freeport and Galveston areas. G.H. Berlin-Windward, from its web site, distributes lubricants from Mobil, Conoco/Phillips 66, Castrol, Kendall, Valvoline, Petro-Canada, Shell, Pennzoil, Chevron and others and has facilities in New Hampshire, Maine ,Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Vermont.

Brenntag said both acquisitions are an investment in rebalancing its industry mix in North America and complement the existing business in the less volatile lubricants market. This also represents a review and shift to counteract the structural change in oil & gas earnings in North America.

The combined companies are expected to contribute sales of approximately $780 million in financial year 2016.

Gross profit for 2016 is expected to amount to $127 million with an expected EBITDA of about $50 million. The closing of the transactions will occur in the course of the next weeks.