Ciba Specialty Chemicals aims to make things stronger, brighter, less clingy, and cleaner. (Note to Parents: it can't achieve this with kids.) Ciba produces specialty chemicals through three business segments: coating effects (pigments, anti-static additives, and whitening agents); plastic additives (additives for lubricants and plastics); and water and paper treatment (for the paper production, water and wastewater treatment, detergent, and hygiene industries). Ciba sells in more than 120 countries, mostly in Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region; Europe accounts for almost half of sales. BASF, the world's largest chemicals maker, bought Ciba for about $4 billion in 2009.