SK Capital has closed the sale of Florachem, a maker of plant-based specialty ingredients, to Tradebe Life Sciences.
Florachem formulates and manufactures naturally derived specialty ingredients including citrus terpenes, rosin esters, and pine oil fractions, which are used in applications across the flavor and fragrance, personal care, industrial cleaning, and adhesives and coatings markets. Florachem’s branded product lines include Florasolv, Florachem Terpenes, and Rosin-X.
Customers of Florachem range from global fragrance houses to manufacturers of cosmetics and adhesives. Florachem employs 40 people and closed its last fiscal year with revenue of $42 million, with projections to reach $66 million by the end of 2025. Florachem, led by CEO Jon Leonard, was founded in 1988 by Jon Leonard and is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.
“This is an exciting new chapter for Florachem,” said Mr. Leonard. “We are confident that this partnership will accelerate our ability to innovate and better serve our customers with enhanced technological capabilities and an expanded manufacturing footprint. We look forward to working together with the Tradebe Life Sciences team to build on our momentum and take Florachem to new heights.”
SK Capital acquired Florachem in April 2022 from Carmelina Capital. During its ownership term, SK expanded the company’s senior management team and completed the development of a food-grade manufacturing facility in Lakeland, Florida.
“It was a pleasure working with Jon Leonard and the Florachem team through this period of transformational growth,” said Jon Borell, a managing director of SK Capital. “SK Capital would like to congratulate the Florachem and Tradebe teams, as this transaction represents a positive outcome for all stakeholders and an opportunity for continued growth under Tradebe’s stewardship.”
Tradebe Life Sciences is a division of Tradebe, a Barcelona-based company founded in 1984. The Life Sciences arm specializes in purification, recycling, and manufacturing of high-purity ingredients used across pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and specialty chemical sectors by pharmaceutical manufacturers, specialty chemical companies, and biotech firms. The division is led by CEO Oscar Creixell and operates facilities across Europe and the United States.
Tradebe’s buy of Florachem expands the company’s North American footprint and builds its ingredient purification capabilities. “We are thrilled to welcome Florachem into the Tradebe family,” said Mr. Creixell. “This acquisition reinforces our commitment to the sector and meaningfully increases our international presence. We’re eager to start collaborating with Jon Leonard and the whole Florachem team to unlock new opportunities that will benefit customers and stakeholders alike.”
Founded in 1984 and based in Barcelona, Spain, Tradebe operates globally across four sectors: Environmental Services, Life Sciences, Health & Nutrition, and Port Services. The acquisition of Florachem aligns with Tradebe Life Sciences’ commitment to fostering a circular economy through ingredient purification and manufacturing.
SK Capital’s portfolio collectively generates over $14 billion in annual revenue, employs more than 25,000 people, and operates more than 200 facilities worldwide. The firm typically invests $100 million to $200 million in equity per portfolio company. Its most recent fund, SK Capital Partners VI LP, closed in April 2024 with $2.95 billion in capital commitments.
© 2025 Private Equity Professional | April 11, 2025
