Albemarle Corporation
3227217
218222353
2008-06-09T18:31:57Z
AndrewHowse
1208138
Disambiguate [[Richmond]] to [[Richmond, Virginia]] using [[:en:Wikipedia:Tools/Navigation_popups|popups]]
{{Infobox_Company |
company_name = Albemarle Corporation |
company_logo = [[Image:Albemarle.svg|130px]] |
company_type = [[Public company|Public]] ([[NYSE]]: [http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=ALB ALB])|
company_slogan = "We Can Do That" |
foundation = 1994 |
location = [[Richmond, Virginia]], [[United States of America]] |
key_people = [[Mark C. Rohr]], CEO<br>|
num_employees = 4000 (2008) |
industry = [[List of chemical companies|Chemical industry]] |
products = [[flame retardants chemicals]], [[antioxidants]], [[FCC catalysts]], [[HPC catalysts]], [[pharmaceutical products]]|
| homepage = http://www.albemarle.com
}}
'''Albemarle Corporation''' ({{nyse|ALB}}) is [[Chemical industry|chemical company]] with corporate headquarters in [[Richmond, Virginia]] and operation headquarters in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]]. It is a globally recognized specialty chemical manufacturing enterprise.
==History==
The Albemarle Paper Manufacturing Company opened in [[1887]] with the production of [[kraft paper]], also known as Kraft, and [[blotting paper]].
In [[1921]], a team of chemists performing research for [[General Motors]] discovered [[tetraethyl lead]] (TEL) had antiknock properties as a gasoline additive. As a result, the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]] began production of tetraethyl lead in [[1937]]. TEL remained the primary product of the [[Ethyl Gasoline Corporation]] through the next four decades. When the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation expanded its product line (particularly to include [[Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl|MMT]]), its name was changed to the Ethyl Corporation.
The Albemarle Paper Manufacturing Company borrowed $200 million in [[1962]] and purchased [[Ethyl Corporation]], a company more than thirteen times its size.
Throughout the next few decades, The Ethyl Corporation, under the direction of the Albemarle Paper Manufacturing Company, further expanded their product line to include [[bromine]] (in 1969 in [[Magnolia, Arkansas]]), lubricant additives (in 1975), and aluminum alkyls (in 1976 in Feluy, Belgium). Further expansion of The Ethyl Corporation included the purchases of [[Dow Chemical]]'s bromine division, Russ Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Potasse et Produits Chimiques (PPC).
In [[1994]], Ethyl spun off its chemical businesses to create an independent, publicly traded company named Albemarle Corporation.
==Expansion==
The Albemarle Corporation expanded itself by acquiring the Asano Corporation, a [[sales]] and [[marketing]] company headquartered in [[Tokyo, Japan]]. The corporation sold both its [[electronics|electronic]] materials business and its alpha olefins, polyalphaolefins and [[synthetic]] [[alcohols]] businesses by [[1996]], and in [[1997]] formed an alliance with Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals, Inc. That same year, the corporation was restructured to form two global business units: Polymer Chemicals and Fine Chemicals.
In [[1998]], the Albemarle Corporation bought a custom manufacturing and oilfield chemicals plant in Teesport, [[England]]. In the same year, a [[joint venture]] was signed between Jordan Dead Sea Industries Company, Arab Potash Company, and one of Albemarle Corporation's [[subsidiary|subsidiaries]]. Another joint venture was signed in 2000 by the corporation and Jinhai Chemical and Industry Company, located in [[China]]. More chemical [[chemical plant|plants]] were opened within the next five years in Port-de-Bouc, [[France]] and Bergheim, [[Germany]] (after the acquisition of Martinswerk GmbH).
Since [[2000]], Albemarle Corporation has acquired assets of Ferro Corporation's PYRO-CHEK flame retardant business; Martinswerk GmbH; the custom and fine chemicals businesses of ChemFirst Inc.; the Ethyl Corporation's fuel and lubricant [[antioxidants]] business; the phosphorus-based polyurethane flame retardants businesses of Rhodia; Atofina S.A.'s (Paris) bromine fine chemicals business; Taerim International Corporation, and the refinery [[catalyst]] business of [[Akzo Nobel|Akzo Nobel N.V.]]
Also in 2000, Albemarle Corporation, Cytec Industries Inc., and GE Specialty Chemicals, Inc., a subsidiary of [[General Electric Company]], announced their intention to form a new business-to-business [[internet]] joint venture, PolymerAdditives.com. The creation of this venture was intended to help provide materials faster and more efficiently directly from trusted suppliers.
==Manufactured Products==
[[Image:Br,35.jpg|thumb| The element [[Bromine]]]]
Though beginning as a blotting paper manufacturer, The Ethyl Corporation finally abandoned paper manufacturing when it sold Oxford Paper in 1976. Since the late 1990s, Albemarle Corporation has successfully manufactured [[bromine]] in countries such as [[Jordan]] and [[France]].
Today, Albemarle Corporation is a global leader in the [[flame-retardant]] [[chemicals]] technologies, with production plants all across the globe in the [[United States]], [[China]], [[Belgium]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Austria]] and [[Korea]]. The corporation also has a line of antioxidants and blends which concentrate on improving storage life and stability of fuel and other [[lubricant]] products. The acquisition of the phosphorus-based chemistry of Rhodia S.A. included products used in rigid and flexible [[polyurethane]] foam applications and [[ammonium]] [[polyphosphate]] products. Later on, the acquisition of Martinswerk GmbH added [[pigment]]s for paper applications, [[aluminum oxide]]s used for flame-retardant, polishing agent, catalyst, and niche ceramic applications, as well as [[magnesium hydroxide]] mainly used as a flame-retardant.
Since the acquisition of the Akzo Nobel N.V., Albemarle Corporation is one of the world's largest producers of [[hydro processing catalysts]] (HPC) and [[fluidized catalytic cracking]] (FCC) [[catalyst]]s used in the petroleum refining industry.
Albemarle's new businesses focus on the manufacture of custom and proprietary fine chemicals and chemical services for the [[pharmacy|pharmaceutical]] and life sciences industries. Albemarle is indeed the largest formulator of ibuprofen in the world.
==External links==
*[http://www.albemarle.com/ Official website]
[[Category:Companies based in Richmond, Virginia]]
[[Category:Companies based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Chemical companies of the United States]]