Grace Ashiru
Adenia Partners, known as “Adenia,” has successfully acquired Air Liquide’s operations across 12 African nations, establishing Erium as the first pan-African leader in industrial and medical gases. Effective immediately, the Erium brand will replace Air Liquide in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Togo. This acquisition, initially announced in March, was officially finalized on July 22. It represents the latest in a series of controlling-stake deals and acquisitions by Adenia, a prominent private equity firm with over two decades of experience in identifying growth opportunities in Africa.
“The birth of Erium is remarkable in many ways. It represents the culmination of an acquisition project undertaken by an African entity from an international player, spanning a vast geographical area and involving activities essential to the continent’s development,” remarked Christophe Scalbert, Partner at Adenia. “More importantly, it marks the beginning of an exciting future due to the growth prospects it offers. We are committed to fully supporting this growth for the benefit of employees, customers, and the local economic fabric.”
The launch of the new Erium brand marks the dawn of a new era for its assets. With the backing of Adenia, Erium’s leadership is committed to delivering value across the full spectrum of stakeholders, including employees, customers, partners, and local communities.
The [R] sound in Erium evokes “air,” underscoring the essential natural resource crucial to numerous gas solutions. Meanwhile, the [IUM] lettering signifies the scientific foundation of gases and materials, conveying both premium quality and optimal solutions. Erium’s international name is both serious and robust, yet simple and accessible, embodying historical expertise and newfound agility.
Now a wholly African entity, Erium aims to establish itself as an agile leader, closely attuned to the needs of its customers and their regions.
To achieve these goals, Erium will:
Commit up to 30 million euros in industrial investments over the next five years.
Boost local production autonomy by constructing air separation and CO2 liquefaction plants.
Prioritize the skill development of its 400 employees, covering both sales and technical staff.
Implement a short, simple, and quick decision-making process.
Create local governance that is both field-oriented and transformative.
Erium is also pleased to announce Georges Decrop’s appointment as Executive Chairman of the Board. In collaboration with the future CEO, Decrop will strategically support the Managing Directors of each country by analyzing processes and proposing structural transformations to accelerate value creation for customers.
“Our new name, Erium, symbolizes the first critical step in our transformative journey,” stated Georges Decrop, Executive Chairman of the Board of Erium. “While our business operations, teams, ethical standards, quality, and safety remain unwavering, we are entering a new era. I am privileged to lead our 12 countries towards enhanced service levels, increased agility, and greater autonomy, directly addressing the needs of our customers and our African continent.”
Erium builds on a legacy that started over 90 years ago in Africa. The newly established company is committed to upholding and strengthening the ethical, safety, and quality standards set by Air Liquide. For instance, Erium maintains some of the highest quality benchmarks, including ISO9001 and FSSC22000 certifications, and benefits from a technical cooperation agreement with Air Liquide.
