Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemicals builds on a tradition that started over 75 years ago, when our predecessor, Noury, started the first commercial organic peroxide plant in the world. In the late fifties, Stauffer, another predecessor, pioneered Metal Alkyls manufacturing in North America. Akzo Nobel has been producing Ziegler-Natta catalysts in Europe and in the United States since the 1980's. Today, we operate 18 plants in Europe, North America, South America, Japan and Asia-Pacific.

Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemicals is headquartered in Chicago. We have regional headquarters in Shanghai, Amersfoort (The Netherlands) and Chicago. Information about our marketing centers can be found in the contact us page.

Our product range is primarily focused on the production of polymers, such as

Initiators

Organic Peroxides

Metal Alkyls

Polymerization Catalysts

Polymer Additives

Thermoset Chemicals

Crosslinking Peroxides

Polymer Chemicals also supplies customers throughout the world with High Purity Metalorganics. We created a new business that provides Safety Services to customers around the globe.

The History of Akzo Nobel

Akzo Nobel is comprised of many companies with a rich history. The oldest are Sikkens (coatings) and Bemberg, both founded in 1792. In Sweden, Alfred Nobel, the famous scientist, founded many companies, some of which are currently part of Akzo Nobel.

Nobel Industries was founded in 1984 through the merger of KemaNobel and Bofors (no longer part of Akzo Nobel). Other companies like Berol, Crown Berger, EKA, and Sadolin & Holmblad were added to the company. In 1991, a major financial reconstruction of Nobel Industries took place. Securum, owned by the state of Sweden, became the major shareholder.

Akzo was the result of a combination of many companies dating back a long time. In 1929, Vereinigte Glanzstoffe Fabriken and Enka started a close cooperation forming AKU. In 1967, Koninklijke Zout-Ketjen and Koninklijke Zwanenberg Organon were combined to form KZO. Both merged forming Akzo in 1969.

Early in 1994, Akzo Nobel was formed through Akzo抯acquisition of the Nobel shares owned by Securum and through a successful offer for the remaining Nobel share.

Today, Akzo Nobel, based in the Netherlands, serves customers throughout the world with healthcare products, coatings and chemicals. Consolidated sales for 2002 totaled EUR 14 billion. The Company currently employs approximately 66,000 people in more than 80 countries.

Akzo Nobel has a two layer organization: the board of management and business units, supported by service units. At the corporate level key tasks are coordinated in the field of strategy and technology, finance and control, communications, human resources, and health, safety and environment.