FIRMENICH AND NELIXIA FORM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FOR NATURALS IN CENTRAL AMERICA

Geneva, Switzerland, June 6, 2018 – Firmenich and Nelixia are proud to announce a strategic partnership to accelerate their excellence in natural ingredients across Central America. With Firmenich’s investment, they will significantly expand Nelixia’s high-quality and ethically-sourced raw materials portfolio. Founded in Guatemala nearly a decade ago, Nelixia is renowned for producing the highest quality Cardamom, Peru Balsam and Styrax essential oils, that are also 100% carbon neutral and traceable. Maintaining its entrepreneurial spirit, Nelixia will continue to be led by its co-founders.

“Nelixia has established itself as a leader in certified essential oils, with a reputation for producing some of the best cardamom in the world”, said Patrick Firmenich, Chairman of the Board, Firmenich. “Building on our longstanding relationship and shared values, we look forward to giving our customers access to Central America’s unique breadth of natural ingredients in the most ethical, sustainable and traceable way.”

“Since the production of our first essential oils back in 2010, our constant ambition has been to place sustainability at the heart of our operations. Firmenich’s passion for naturals and commitment to the sustainable livelihoods of the local communities, made them an ideal partner, enabling us to multiply our impact across Central America,” said Elisa Aragon, co-founder and CEO of Nelixia. “Taking our vision to the next level, we’re looking forward to diversifying our raw materials portfolio, while scaling up our positive impact across our farming communities.”

“I am delighted to be strengthening our partnership with Nelixia, as we share a common passion for nature’s most authentic ingredients and the people who produce them”, said Gilbert Ghostine, CEO, Firmenich. “Combining Nelixia’s unique range of natural ingredients with our global reach and legacy of world-class research, we look forward to creating the finest taste and smell experiences for our customers.”

From Right to Left: Armand de Villoutreys, President Perfumery & Ingredients, Firmenich; Elisa Aragon, co-founder and CEO of Nelixia; Gilbert Ghostine, CEO, Firmenich; Jean-Marie Maizener, co-founder and CEO of Nelixia; and Dominique Roques, VP Naturals, Firmenich.

 

Carbon Neutral and Traceable Naturals from Field to Shelf

A leading producer of natural, sustainable and certified essential oils, Nelixia crafts the finest quality of raw materials, from Cardamom and Peru Balsam to Styrax, broadly used in fragrance, cosmetic, aromatherapy and food applications. Committed to offering full traceability, Nelixia actively supports the sustainable livelihoods of communities in Central America, from Guatemala and El Salvador to Honduras. Working hand-in-hand with small-holder farmers and NGOs at source, the Group continually invests in projects to develop their communities from education and health to optimizing supply chains. One of the only producers of natural raw materials that can claim carbon-zero products, Nelixia operates with self-produced renewable energy, using unique technologies, such as a proprietary biodigester system to produce biogas. To discover more about this unique partnership, we invite you to click here to view this video about Cardamom oil.

Excellence in Naturals

Firmenich is committed to offering its customers the most pristine natural ingredients in the most sustainable, ethical and traceable way. Through its Naturals Together™ strategic partnerships, Firmenich sources and crafts for its creators and the market, the most precious, innovative and sustainable natural ingredients. This represents 170 species, supplied by 100 producers, locally sourced in 40 countries, contributing to the sustainable livelihoods of 250,000 families. Discover more in the video below or at: www.firmenich.com/naturalstogether

About Firmenich

Firmenich is the world’s largest privately-owned company in the fragrance and flavor business. Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895, it has created many of the world’s best-known perfumes and flavors that billions of consumers enjoy each day. Its passion for smell and taste is at the heart of its success. It is renowned for its world-class research and creativity, as well as its thought leadership in sustainability and exceptional understanding of consumer trends. Each year, it invests 10% of its turnover in R&D, reflecting its continuous desire to understand, share and sublimate the best that nature has to offer. Firmenich had an annual turnover of 3.34 billion Swiss Francs at end June 2017.

About Nelixia

Since its founding in 2009, Nelixia has challenged the traditional way of sourcing and producing raw materials, to bring the highest quality natural sustainable ingredients to the industry. Today, focused on scaling up its positive impact, Nelixia has developed throughout Central America, remaining faithful to its commitment of developing sustainable and traceable value chains for each of its ingredients while improving communities’ livelihoods and protecting the environment. More information about Nelixia is available at www.nelixia.com