Mumbai, Nov. 27: Soap and detergent maker Nirma Ltd today entered into an agreement to acquire a US-based soda ash company for an undisclosed sum.

The company will acquire Searles Valley Minerals Operations and Searles Valley Minerals Inc (collectively known as SVM) from US-based private investment firm Sun Capital Partners Inc and other minority shareholders.

SVM has three manufacturing facilities at Argus, Trona and Westend, California. The company, with a combined production capacity of over 1.9 million tonnes, also has a 67MW-per-hour power plant, a short-line railroad and a joint venture in port operations at Long Beach.

Nirma registered a 13.15 per cent rise in turnover at about Rs 2,539.29 crore for the fiscal ending March 31. Sources said the acquisition could raise Nirma’s annual revenues to more than Rs 3,500 crore. Soda ash constitutes about 25 to 30 per cent of the domestic chlor-alkali market.

SVM is the only US producer of soda ash, sodium borates, boric acid and sodium sulphate.