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Ghent-based specialist in industrial hygiene and cleaning solutions Christeyns is further strengthening its international growth strategy with two new acquisitions in Europe and Africa. The company is acquiring a majority stake in the Finnish company Kemvit Oy and the South African company Orlichem (Pty) Ltd, together representing a turnover of more than 10 million euros. With this expansion, Christeyns now has production on every continent.
With these steps, Christeyns aims to further strengthen its position in professional hygiene and cleaning solutions and expand its presence in Northern Europe and Southern Africa.
On Feb. 11, 2026, Christeyns reached an agreement for a majority stake in Kemvit, a Finnish manufacturer of cleaning and hygiene products for professional kitchens, cleaning companies, laundries and the food and metal industries. About 20 percent of production is exported to nine countries.
According to CEO Alain Bostoen, the acquisition offers new growth opportunities for Christeyns in Finland. “We already have a strong presence with our Laundry Technology and Food Hygiene divisions. With Kemvit we strengthen our position in Professional Hygiene and further expand our presence in the Nordic market.”
Kemvit's local production capacity should help Christeyns strengthen its position in the Finnish market, where logistics and import costs play an important role.
In addition, Christeyns is acquiring a majority stake in Orlichem (Pty) Ltd, a manufacturer of industrial cleaning and hygiene products with production in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The agreement was signed on Feb. 23, 2026, and officially took effect on March 1, 2026.
With this acquisition, Christeyns now also has production on the African continent and is taking an important step in the further expansion of its global production network.
Orlichem was founded in 2008 by Ryszard and Beverley Orlik. The company supplies customers in various sectors, including hospitality, industry, maritime operations and institutional settings in South Africa, as well as exporting to markets such as Angola, Namibia, Congo, Ghana, Gabon and Mozambique.
With these two transactions, Christeyns underlines its strategy of continuing to grow internationally through local production. The group thus continues to build a global production network and today produces on every continent. The combination of production capacity, distribution and technological support from within the group should support further expansion in both Europe and Africa.
