ROLLE, SWITZERLAND — Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and Wilmar International Limited announced on Oct. 17 that they have completed regulatory approvals for their partnerships in global fertilizer and European vegetable oil. The two companies have also launched their partnership in global ocean freight.
Through the three partnerships, which will be based in Rolle, Switzerland, ADM and Wilmar will:
•           Collaborate on purchasing and distribution in the global fertilizer business;
•           Partner in the sale and marketing of vegetable oils and fats in Europe; and
•           Work together to improve the utilization and management of their oceangoing fleets, with each company initially contributing two ships to the effort.
“Given our long association with ADM in Asia, we are confident of the efficiencies that these new global partnerships will bring to our businesses,” said Kuok Khoon Hong, Wilmar’s chairman and chief executive officer (CEO).
“These new partnerships will help strengthen our global marketing reach, while delivering a best-in-class service to our customers,” said ADM Chairman and CEO Patricia Woertz. “We are confident that synergies with Wilmar will create a distinctive value.”
Collaborations between ADM and Wilmar began in the mid-1990s, when they jointly built a network of soybean processing operations in China. ADM owns a 16% equity stake in Wilmar. The companies have significant supplier relationships with each other.