Platts Buys Biofuels Specialist Kingsman

Energy pricing specialist Platts has purchased Swiss firm Kingsman, which provides market analysis, research and price information for the sugar, biofuels and biofuel feedstock sectors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Formed in 1990 by CEO Jonathan Kingsman (pictured), the firm employs a team of consultants, brokers, analyst, researchers and report writers, based at its offices in Lausanne, London, New Delhi, Montreal, Bangkok and Sao Paulo.

Platts, which is a division of US publisher and J.D.Power parent McGraw-Hill, and provides energy, petrochemical, and metals information, says the acquisition will enable it to move into agricultural markets, adding grains and oilseeds to its coverage.

The firms provide complementary biofuels services covering Asia, Europe and the Americas. While Platts has covered the biofuels market for many years with news and prices featured in its oil and petrochemicals information services, it recently launched a portfolio of dedicated biofuels information products, including a newsletter, a real-time alert and market data package.

McGraw-Hill Chairman Harold McGraw III said that as his firm separates its education arm from its financial and commodities intelligence business at the end of the year, this acquisition will strengthen the firm's position as providers of intelligence in the capital and commodity markets.

Larry Neal, President of Platts, adds: 'Kingsman is widely recognized as the leading global brand for sugar market data and analytics. Our acquisition deepens Platts' capabilities in biofuels and gives us a springboard for growth in the global agricultural markets. It also reinforces our commitment to becoming a leader in market analytics as well as news and price information.'

Web sites: www.platts.com , www.mcgraw-hill.com and www.kingsman.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.