Univar Inc., a leading global chemical distributor, has announced the opening of a new office in Vienna, Austria. Univar has been active in this market for 20 years, but this is the first time the company will have a local base, enabling it to work more closely with its Austrian customers and suppliers.
“We are well positioned in the Austrian market and have developed a good reputation over the years; we decided that now was the right moment to take the next step,” says Mirko Schnitzler, Univar’s regional vice president, central region. “We already have strong relationships here with a number of suppliers, but feel there is significant further potential for our business in this region.”
Austria is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita, with Vienna as its centre and the high-growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe at its doorstep. This not only gives Univar an opportunity to expand its European footprint but also enables new and existing customers in the region to benefit from Univar’s global supply reliability, deep market insight, expertise, and a dedicated local team.
To begin with, Univar’s product offering will focus mainly on the coatings, construction, food, pharmaceutical, detergents and personal care industries, but will look at other opportunities to expand as the business grows.