Brenntag expands Asian footprint with acquisition of Woojin Trading
The transaction will reinforce Brenntag’s position in the country’s influential beauty and personal care market and support the company’s wider growth strategy in Asia.
SOUTH KOREA – Brenntag has agreed to acquire Woojin Trading Co., Ltd., a speciality distributor of beauty and personal care ingredients based in Anyang, South Korea.
The transaction will reinforce Brenntag’s position in the country’s influential beauty and personal care market and support the company’s wider growth strategy in Asia.
The proposed acquisition will strengthen Brenntag’s presence in South Korea’s influential beauty and personal care market, which is recognised for driving global formulation and product-development trends.
Following the transaction, customers are expected to benefit from a wider portfolio of ingredients and speciality products, enhanced formulation expertise and access to Woojin’s in-house laboratory capabilities.
François Bleger, Global President of Brenntag Beauty & Care, said, “The Korean market is a global trendsetter for beauty and personal care formulations and represents a significant growth opportunity.”
“Mr. Song, Ms. Kim and the team at Woojin have built one of the leading distributors for speciality products and formulations in this market.”
He added, “Our strengthened footprint will serve as a bridgehead for accelerating Brenntag’s other businesses across South Korea, and we are excited to combine our strengths to grow in Korea and beyond.”
Woojin Trading, which was founded in 1999 by Chairman Young Bae Song, has developed an extensive network of global suppliers and a rapidly growing customer base across Asia.
The company is regarded as a well-established distributor of raw materials and ingredients for the beauty and personal care sector.
Woojin also operates an in-house laboratory and maintains long-standing, trusted relationships with international supply partners.
These capabilities are expected to complement Brenntag’s global distribution infrastructure and strengthen its technical support for customers in the region.
Seon Yeon Kim, Chief Executive Officer of Woojin Trading, said the company had built a solid foundation in South Korea, a key centre for global beauty and personal care innovation.
She explained that joining Brenntag would combine Woojin’s regional knowledge with the German group’s international scale.
Kim added that the partnership could help introduce Korean beauty innovation to a broader global audience while creating additional growth opportunities for Woojin’s employees, customers and business partners.
The financial terms of the proposed acquisition have not been disclosed. Completion remains subject to customary closing conditions, including third-party approvals, and is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The acquisition announcement comes shortly after Brenntag recently reported Q1 2026 results, showing sales of €3.7 billion (USD 4.29 billion), a 5.1% decline on a constant-currency basis compared to the prior-year quarter, driven by persistently weak demand across North America, EMEA, and APAC.
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