Luxco Wax, located in Richmond, California, is a supplier of wax specialities to a diverse group of industries, particularly west of the Rocky Mountains. Sasol Wax has enjoyed a partnership in Luxco Wax since 1998.

Apart from this acquisition, Sasol Wax sold its shares in two joint ventures in mid 2007 and earlier this year acquired the outstanding 50% share in Merkur, a former joint venture with Shell in Germany. Merkur markets petroleum jelly into the personal care market and, like Luxco Wax, will be merged into Sasol Wax's global business.

"It is our strategy to focus on value added wax applications worldwide. We are advancing research to develop and grow our existing broad product portfolio significantly, while offering extensive product customisation flexibility to meet customers' needs," says Sasol Wax MD Johan du Preez.

Sasol Wax last year benefited from a strong demand for specialities made of hard waxes manufactured at Sasolburg and its facilities in Germany and elsewhere. The company plans to double the production capacity of synthetic wax at its Sasolburg plant in South Africa by 2013.

Speciality waxes are used amongst others, in emulsions, coatings, hot melt adhesives, inks and bitumen, in industries ranging from paper and packaging to construction, personal care, printing and tyre production.

Sasol Wax is a 100% subsidiary of the South African company, Sasol Limited. It employs 1,100 people worldwide, with its head office in Hamburg, Germany. It has a number of manufacturing facilities in Europe, South Africa and now the USA. It has an annual consolidated turnover of 600 million dollars and is a producer and marketer of synthetic and petroleum derived waxes.