IMCD acquires Willows Ingredients to bolster dominance
Left to right: Fergus Johnson, taste director EMEA IMCD, Philip Conway, commercial & procurement director Willows Ingredients, David Scrivens, managing director Willows Ingredients, Paul Hanbury, managing director IMCD UK & Ireland, Derek Conway, European sales director Willows Ingredients and Richard Mell, finance & operations director IMCD UK & Ireland (photo: IMCD)
IMCD has officially signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Willows Ingredients Group, a move set to reshape the supply chain for food and drink manufacturers across Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The acquisition directly targets the high-growth sectors of health, sports, and animal nutrition. By absorbing Willows Ingredients’ specialised portfolio and technical expertise, IMCD is positioning itself as the primary gateway for manufacturers seeking advanced functional ingredients in a post-2025 market increasingly driven by preventative healthcare and performance nutrition.
For manufacturers, this deal represents a significant consolidation of technical resources. Willows Ingredients, headquartered in Ireland, brings a lean team of 26 specialists known for “long-standing trusted customer relationships and valuable expertise.” For a manufacturer, this means access to a more streamlined “global platform” that combines local market intimacy with IMCD’s massive scale.
Paul Hanbury, managing director of IMCD UK & Ireland, noted that the acquisition is an “important step in developing our food & nutrition activities across the region.” He stressed that by combining Willows Ingredients’ strengths with IMCD’s “global reach and formulation capabilities,” the group can create “even greater opportunities for our customers and principals.”
The timing of the acquisition coincides with a surge in demand for specialised health and sports nutrition products in the UK and Ireland. Manufacturers are currently racing to develop clean-label and high-performance products that cater to aging populations and the growing amateur sports market.
Manufacturers can expect several key changes to their procurement and R&D cycles:
- Broader ingredient access: IMCD will integrate Willows’ supplier partnerships, providing a wider variety of specialized proteins, amino acids, and health-boosting additives.
- Enhanced formulation support: IMCD’s global network of pilot plants and technical centres will now be available to support the specific Irish and UK customer base that Willows previously served.
- Supply chain resilience: leveraging a global distributor often provides manufacturers with better protection against local supply shocks or logistics disruptions.
The move is seen as a win for David Scrivens, managing director of Willows Ingredients, who believes that “joining IMCD gain[s] access to a global platform that will enable us to support our partners even more effectively.” He expressed a desire to work alongside new colleagues to “deliver enhanced solutions for the market.”
With the transaction expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, food and drink manufacturers should prepare for a transition toward a more integrated service model. This merger signals a broader trend in the 2026 industry landscape: the convergence of specialised local knowledge with the technical and financial muscle of global distribution giants.
For food and drink manufacturers, the deal simplifies the path to innovation. By having a single, technically-led partner for both specialty chemicals and nutrition ingredients, producers can accelerate their time-to-market for the next generation of functional foods.
