Evonik buys cosmetic ingredients maker Dr. Straetmans

By Matthias Inverardi

DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - German chemicals maker Evonik (EVKn.DE) will buy Hamburg-based Dr. Straetmans GmbH, a maker of cosmetic ingredients, for just under 100 million euros (87.6 million pounds).

Evonik plans to keep the acquired company's Hamburg headquarters and expand activities there, Dr. Straetmans Managing Director Wilfried Petersen said, confirming a Reuters report.

People familiar with the matter said Evonik agreed to pay just under 100 million euros for the business.

Evonik, which declined to comment, last year agreed to acquire the speciality and coating additives operations of U.S. industrial gas producer Air Products and Chemicals for $3.8 billion, also to boost Evonik's cosmetics ingredients business.

Among others, the Air Products deal at the time added substances which ensure that active cosmetic ingredients are absorbed by deeper layers of skin.

($1 = 0.9366 euros)

(Writing by Ludwig Burger; editing by Georgina Prodhan and Jason Neely)

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