Ecolab acquires Nalco (2011)
Ecolab, a cleaning and sanitation chemical company, announced in July 2011 it would buy Nalco, a water treatment firm, for $5.4 billion. The deal closed in December 2011, creating a combined water and hygiene services company.
Ecolab became the largest water treatment company in the world, folding Nalco's industrial water expertise into its existing food safety and hygiene business.
The deal set a template for water treatment consolidation, showing that combining water and hygiene services under one roof created cross-selling opportunities.
Rochester Midland's acquisition of ApHinity follows the same logic: adding water and air quality capabilities to an existing food safety and hygiene platform.
