Platform Specialty to buy Arysta for $3.51 billion

NEW YORK (AP) — Platform Specialty Products Corp. is spending about $3.51 billion to buy rival chemical maker Arysta LifeScience Ltd.

Miami-based Platform makes specialty chemicals used in computers, cars and oil rigs. Arysta, which is owned by a fund backed by private equity firm Permira, makes fungicides and herbicides for crops.

The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of next year.

Arysta, which sells its products all around the world, had revenue of $1.5 billion in 2013. Platform has been growing its agricultural chemical business. Earlier this month, it bought agrochemical company Agriphar for about $380 million.