The story of the Solvay group began on 15 April 1861, when Ernest Solvay patented a revolutionary ammonia-soda process for producing sodium carbonate. - also known as soda ash - using common salt, ammonia, carbon dioxide (CO2) and lime. Ernest Solvay, born in 1838, was a man with a passionate interest in science, research and innovation and a defender of progressive social ideals.Together with his brother Alfred, he founded the company Solvay & Cie on December 24, 1863 to implement the new process for the industrial production of sodium carbonate. The first Solvay soda factory started operating in Couillet, Belgium in 1865. It used salt from rock salt mines; the lime and CO2 were produced by the calcination of limestone in limekilns. The ammonia was recovered from the production process for re-use. The chemicals sector makes hydrogen peroxide and soda ash (used to make glass). And Solvay's pharmaceuticals include cardiological drugs, gastrointestinal enzymes, and antidepressants. However, it agreed to sell that last unit to Abbott Labs in 2009 for about E5.2 billion ($7.6 billion US). Belgian holding company Solvac owns more than 30% of Solvay.

Founded in 1935 as a maker of caustic soda, Tosoh (a Japanese abbreviation of oriental soda) still produces caustic soda but has expanded into a number of other areas. Today Tosoh's three core chemicals businesses -- petro-, basic, and specialties -- account for roughly equal portions of sales. The company's basic chemicals include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and chlorine. Its petrochemicals include olefins and aromatics such as benzene, toluene, and ethylene. Tosoh has been building up its higher-margin specialty chemicals like ethylene amines and specialty materials such as quartz. The Tosoh Corporation company has more than 140 affiliates worldwide but gets about 90% of sales from Japan.

NCH has been cleaning up for years, and like everyone else, it's been using soaps and detergents to do so. The company makes and sells about 450 chemical, maintenance, repair, and supply products, including all kinds of cleaners, for customers in more than 50 countries throughout the world. NCH markets its products through a direct sales force to companies in the agricultural, home-improvement, industrial, recreational, and utility markets. Other products include fasteners, welding supplies, plumbing parts, lubricants, and metal-working fluids. Descendants of founder Milton Levy own the company, which was established in 1919.

TCR Industries, founded by Tony Rumfola in 1975, will recognize its thirty-sixth year operating as a manufacturers' representative organization June 1st. Our beginning was dealing in distressed inventory brought on by the infamous "oil embargo" which occurred in the early 1970s. A very large percentage of manufacturers requiring chemical raw materials overbought because uncertanties of availability requirements to make their finished products. Thus, when the curtain lifted ending the "oil embargo" caused shortages, there were staggering inventories interfering with cash flows. Opportunities were there to buy these inventories at discounted prices and sell at discounted, but profitable prices. The process was helpful to all parties concerned, and it helped in the start up of TCR.

It's not in Minnesota and it doesn't do any mining either, but at least 3M United Kingdom does accomplish some manufacturing. 3M UK is the British and Irish arm of diversified chemical and consumer products firm 3M Company. Among 3M's product lines are Scotch-brand tape and Post-it Notes. 3M Health Care Ltd., whose business makes up a large component of 3M UK, makes medical equipment and supplies like respirators and drug delivery systems. The company also manufactures abrasives and adhesives. 3M UK is among its parent company's largest international iterations with about 15 locations, including 11 manufacturing facilities.

Rhein Chemie Corporation manufactures polymers and additives for the rubber, plastic, and lubricants industries. The company -- the North American division of German additives company Rhein Chemie, a subsidiary of LANXESS -- operates from a single manufacturing facility in Ohio. Its rubber chemicals are used in automobile tires, shoe soles, and wire and cable products. The company's lubricant additives go into gear oils, metal working fluids, and hydraulic oils. Rhein Chemie also serves producers of polyurethanes and nylon with its engineering plastics additives.

McBride keeps Europe well-groomed and squeaky clean. The continent's largest manufacturer of private-label household and personal care products, McBride sells its products to most of Europe's major grocery chains. The company's array of household products includes laundry and dishwashing products, hard surface cleaners, bleach, and air fresheners. Its personal care items include shampoo, soap, shaving cream, deodorant, toothpaste, and nail and skin care products. McBride has about a dozen manufacturing facilities in a handful of European countries and operates through subsidiaries in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK. It also exports products to Central and Eastern Europe.

From painting to printing, Clariant GmbH makes it brighter. The company makes pigments for paints, lacquers, plastics, and other specialty applications. The company also makes masterbatches, printing inks for ink jet and laser printing, additives to improve heat resistance, and aluminum paints. Other divisions make surfactants, polymers, pharmaceutical and agricultural fine chemicals, and distribute color and additive concentrates. Clariant GmbH sells to the automotive, electronics, consumer goods, medical, packaging, and textiles markets. The company is the German unit of Swiss specialty chemical giant Clariant International and accounts for about 15% of its parent's total sales.

Asahi Kasei Corporation provides solutions in the areas of chemistry and materials science. It operates in seven segments: Chemicals; Homes; Health Care; Fibers; Electronics; Construction Materials; and Services, Engineering, and Others. The Chemicals segment offers chemicals and derivative products, such as ammonia, nitric acid, caustic soda, acrylonitrile, styrene monomer, methyl methacrylate monomer, PMMA resin, and adipic acid; polymer products, including such as polyethylene, styrene-acrylonitrile, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, synthetic rubber, polyacetal, modified polyphenylene ether, and nylon polymer and filament; and specialty products comprising coating materials, latex, microcrystalline cellulose, explosives, explosion-bonded metal clad, photosensitive resin and printing plate making systems, UF and MF membranes and systems, microporous membrane, ion-exchange membranes and electrolysis systems, cling film, storage bags, plastic films, sheets, and foams.

Gaylord Chemical Company manufactures just three products: dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and dimethyl sulfone. But those three chemicals go into a number of end products, including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, petrochemicals, inks, and solvents, as well as in semiconductor manufacturing. The company operates a manufacturing facility and research and technology center in Louisiana and sells globally. It had been a subsidiary of Temple-Inland as a result of that company's 2002 purchase of the former Gaylord Container Company. Temple-Inland then sold Gaylord Container's chemicals business to members of that unit's management team.

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