Verdera Oy of Finland and e-nema GmbH of Germany, have signed a strategic partnership agreement covering manufacturing, marketing and product development of biological plant protection products for forestry, horticulture and amenity. The cooperation will result in a broader supply of biological control agents, a stronger global presence through a more effective distribution network and improved services to customers through comprehensive, effective and sustainable solutions.
Verdera's biological plant protection products against fungal diseases, and growth stimulants, and
e-nema's products, which control insect pests, provide end users with integrated biocontrol solutions, and complement each other extremely well. All of these products are free of gene-modified organisms. The parties will benefit from one another's R & D expertise in formulation and application methods, testing systems including field trials, and in the registration process of new products.
e-nema is a toll manufacturer of microbial plant protection agents. It also develops, produces and markets nematodes. Their key products are nematop® and nema-green®, which are used to control weevils in strawberries and ornamentals as well as grubs in turf. nemaplus® and nemacel® are used against sciarid flies in ornamentals and mushrooms.
Verdera's main product is Rotstop®, which provides long-term protection against annosus rot in coniferous forests. Mycostop® and Prestop® are biofungicides, which are used in greenhouse cultivation to control damping-off, wilts and root diseases in ornamentals as well as in vegetables and herbs. GlioMix® is a beneficial microbial product used in vegetable, herb and ornamental seedling production. Recently Verdera acquired global licencing and marketing rights of a plant growth stimulant Greenstim® that is based on betaine.
e-nema's and Verdera's target for the future is to become leading biocontrol companies with an active role in the ongoing international consolidation of the biological plant protection market. The strategic partnership agreement facilitates active worldwide cooperation with new partners. The size and the scope of the business, and the comprehensiveness of the marketing alliance will make Verdera and e-nema an interesting negotiating partner for future strategic alliances.
Arja Kuittinen, Managing Director of Verdera, says that she expects short-term benefits through
e-nema's recently expanded fermentation capacity of up to 20,000 litres. Thus, e-nema is able to produce two of Verdera's products, Mycostop® and Prestop®, more cost-effectively. The new marketing alliance and a joint distribution network are expected to boost the sales of both companies worldwide.
Tillmann Frank, Managing Director of e-nema, stresses that the size and scope of the business and the depth of the marketing will mobilise synergistic effects making the alliance an interesting player in the plant protection business and in the integrated pest management sector.
Verdera is owned by Kemira GrowHow Oy, the capital venture company Bio Fund Management Oy and the company personnel. Verdera's turnover is approximately 2 million euros. It is the largest biocontrol company in the Nordic countries with exports to 15 countries.
e-nema, founded in 1997, is a spin-off of the Institute for Phytopathology of the Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel. It is owned by the company's management. e-nema's turnover is approximately
1 million euros.
Contact information:
Verdera Oy
Ms Arja Kuittinen, Managing Director
Tel. +358 (0)10 217 3715, mobile +358 (0)50 300 0351
e-nema GmbH
Mr Tillmann Frank, Managing Director
Tel. +49 40 4307 82950, mobile +49-160-584 0102
http://home.t-online.de/home/e-nema.biotec