H.B. Fuller Co. recently announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its surfactants, thickeners, and dispersants business to Tiarco, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textile Rubber and Chemical Co., Inc., for $71 million. H.B. Fuller reports that it will use the net proceeds from the sale for debt reduction. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter.

“The business being sold is a non-strategic, non-adhesive business, which was purchased as part of the Royal acquisition,” said Jim Owens, president and CEO of H.B. Fuller. “Our focus is to shift our portfolio to more highly specified adhesive solutions, and the surfactants, thickeners and dispersants business is not part of our strategic vision. By divesting this business, we are able to continue to accelerate paying down debt, focus on our core, and better position this business for future growth under the ownership of Tiarco, which specializes in this market. We are pleased that our colleagues will join a strong, established team at Tiarco.”