The Dead Sea has given life to Israel Chemicals Limited (ICL). That body of water is rich in bromine, potash, salt, and magnesium -- minerals that ICL turns into specialty and agrochemicals, among other products. Bromine commonly is used in flame retardants, and potash is a common fertilizer. The company accounts for a third of the world's bromine production and 10% of the world's potash. It is also a major producer of magnesium. Although most of the company's chemicals are produced in Israel (from the Dead Sea), it also mines for fertilizers in Spain and the UK. Investment firm Israel Corporation, controlled by The Ofer Group, owns 53% of ICL.

MacDermid's brood of specialty chemicals is too broad to pigeonhole. The company makes a range of chemicals used in electronics (for etching and to imprint electrical patterns on circuit boards), graphic arts (for image transfers), metal and plastics finishing, and oil and gas exploration. It markets and produces more than 5,000 proprietary chemical compounds used for cleaning, coating, electroplating, etching, mechanical galvanizing, and rust retarding applications. MacDermid also distributes chemical supplies of other companies and produces horizontal processing equipment used in circuit board production and chemical machining.

AgraQuest sweats the small stuff. The company's proprietary database of more than 23,000 microorganisms is the base for its line of pest control and plant disease-fighting products. AgraQuest's products fight plant pests and diseases with naturally occurring microorganisms that offer environmental advantages over synthetic chemical pesticides and genetically modified crops. The company's product offerings include Serenade, a biofungicide that is approved for use on crops such as grapes, apples, pears, and tomatoes; Rhapsody, a fungicide used in the professional ornamental plant market; and Baritone, a pesticide. AgraQuest has about 20 other natural pest management products in the pipeline.

IMAFLEX Inc., operating since 1994, specializes in the manufacturing and sale of polyethylene films. These custom made packaging films are either used directly by our customers to protect and market their own products, or purchased by printers know as converters, who will then transform the film to satisfy their own customer needs, or by distributors for re-sale.

Meghmani Organics is a leading producer of pesticide chemicals used by pesticide manufacturers and pigments used by manufacturers of printing ink, plastics, paint, textiles and leather, paper, and rubber. The company's customers are primarily multinational corporations and include Ciba Holding, Flint Ink, and FMC Agricultural Products. More than 50% of its pesticide products and over 80% of its pigment products are exported. The company was founded in 1986 and has offices in Belgium, China, and the US.

Agrium U.S. operates south of the border for Canadian fertilizers manufacturer and distributor Agrium. The parent company produces and distributes four major crop nutrients: nitrogen, phosphate, potash, and sulfate fertilizers for the wholesale market. Agrium U.S. operates a network of about 500 retail farm centers in the US and Latin America, and is one of the largest independent retailers of fertilizers, seeds, and chemicals in North America. The US provides Agrium with about two-thirds of its sales. Agrium began originally as Cominco during the 1930s.

Ennis International earned its stripes in the traffic paint industry and has become the largest pavement marking company in the world. The company operates manufacturing facilities throughout the US and sells its paint and thermoplastic coating products through a nationwide network of distributors. It also sells raised road markers and components, and it serves international customers. The company was founded in 1996 by chairman Bryce Anderson and president and CEO John Anderson.

Cole Chemical & Distributing provides chemical ingredients to petrochemical manufacturers, oil companies, and personal care product makers. The company's products include acids, alcohols, amines, chlor-alkali, chlorinated solvents, fatty chemicals, glycol ethers, lubricants, and resins from suppliers including BASF, Cargill, and Dow Corning. It offers safety training, custom blending, warehousing, logistics, and custom packaging services from its locations throughout the US; the company also has import and export operations.

General Chemical Industrial Products makes soda, but don't be tempted to take a drink. The company produces soda ash, which is a raw ingredient in the manufacture of everything from glass to soap and detergent to textiles. General Chemical's lone production facility and mine are located in Wyoming; the company owns 75% of the facility, with glass container manufacturer Owens-Illinois owning the rest. In 2008 General Chemical acquired the mica production assets of Zemex. Soon after that deal, Tata Chemicals bought the company for about $1 billion, at which point Zemex was spun off to General Chemical's shareholders.

Ashland Hercules Water Technologies will get your water clean even if it means tossing some chemicals into it. The company offers both chemical and non-chemical products that help keep industrial and commercial processing facilities and equipment flowing freely and working efficiently. It produces water treatment additives, polymers, and surfactants; treatments for boiler and water cooling systems; and cleaning chemicals for the marine industry. It also serves customers worldwide in the food processing, mining, pulp and paper, and wastewater industries. Ashland Hercules Water Technologies is a business unit of Ashland, which expanded it greatly with the 2008 acquisition of Hercules.

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