A new company called Advan LLC will distribute Surround (kaolin) crop protectant in specialty agriculture markets in the United States.
Engelhard Corporation, which manufactures Surround, announced that sales forces from the two companies will join forces to form a single Advan sales team to sell both Surround and Advan products.

Advan was formed in August 2005 by Mitsui and Company of Japan and the Sipcam-Oxon Groups of Italy. It has agreements with Certis USA, Sipcam Agro USA, and Mitsui Chemical, Inc., to market a range of insecticides, fungicides, and soil fumigants in the United States and Mexico.

Peter Barrows, Engelhard’s director for crop protectants, said in a press release that by combining forces with Advan, Surround should benefit from increased representation in specialty U.S. agricultural markets, and that Surround complements Advan’s product offerings for organic and conventional growers and those using integrated pest management.

Engelhard will continue to manufacture, market, and advertise Surround and conduct research and development, while Advan will manage sales and be responsible for customer service and logistics.

For more information, check the Web site at www.engelhard.com.