Azelis has opened a new office in Abidjan, the economic capital and largest city of Ivory Coast. The new office is said to represent Azelis’ continued commitment to invest in Africa and to ensure the company has ample room for its planned growth over the next few years.

Azelis has had a presence in Africa since June 2015, when the company founded its first subsidiary in Africa, Azelis Morocco.

“This office opening comes at a time when we are actively expanding our reach across the region,” said Benoit Fritz, Regional Managing Director France & Africa. “Ivory Coast is uniquely positioned with a strong outlook for future growth. We will leverage Azelis Group application knowledge and technical expertise to develop solutions that are relevant to the local market needs and unmet demands.”

The Abidjan office will be headed up by Michel Haidon. Haidon previously worked as Market Manager Africa & Israel for a French dairy company. Prior to that he was Market Manager at a leading global ingredients solutions company.

“Azelis will be a perfect partner for the region, offering localised services while retaining the advantage of a global network with a broad product portfolio and teams of dedicated industry specialists,” said Haidon. “We will employ local technical people, have a local warehouse and application laboratory and focus on local customers, enabling us to meet the increasing demand from the emerging middle class.”

Initially Azelis will focus on speciality ingredients for the food & health and personal care markets, wher teams from Azelis France will guide the sales development efforts and offer technical support. The company is also planning to expand into the specialty agri/horti area.