Standard&Poor's Ratings Services' ratings on Ecolab Inc. reflect the company's "excellent" business risk profile and "significant" financial risk profile, both as defined in our criteria. Ecolab's business risk profile reflects its position as a global leader with a diverse range of applications in a service-oriented specialty chemical segment. The company's significant financial risk profile offsets its business risk profile strengths to some extent. Our view is that the proposed $2.1 billion Champion Technologies acquisition strengthens Ecolab's market position in the energy services sector and supports the company's current business risk profile. Ecolab's global leadership in products and services relating to cleaning, sanitizing, food safety, and infection-prevention control have been supplemented through its 2011 $8.2 billion Nalco Holdings acquisition
