COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 2819

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals, Not Elsewhere Classified

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

48companies1880–1991founding years42still active6no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedImperial Oil Limited
1880
FoundedMallinckrodt Group Inc.
1882
FoundedKao Corporation
1887
FoundedRhône-Poulenc S.A.
1895
FoundedThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
1898
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
FoundedThe Clorox Company
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedAlliedSignal Inc.FoundedPetroFina S.A.
1920
FoundedFMC Corporation
1928
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
FoundedGreat Lakes Chemical Corporation
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
FoundedHawkins Chemical, Inc.
1938
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
FoundedHach Co.
1951
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
FoundedRoche Bioscience
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedMontedison S.p.A.
1966
FoundedMelamine Chemicals, Inc.
1968
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1980
EnvironmentSuperfund law makes polluters pay for cleanup.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedSterling Chemicals, Inc.
1986
FoundedARCO Chemical Company
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
FoundedIMC Fertilizer Group, Inc.
1988
1990
EnvironmentThe Clean Air Act amendments tighten emissions limits.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Imperial Oil Limited →
Active · founded 1880 · Canada
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest producer of crude oil and a leading producer of natural gas.
Imperial Oil Limited →
Active · founded 1880 · Canada
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest producer of crude oil and a leading producer of natural gas.
Mallinckrodt Group Inc. →
Active · founded 1882
Mallinckrodt Group Inc.
Mallinckrodt Group Inc. →
Active · founded 1882
Mallinckrodt Group Inc.
Kao Corporation →
Active · founded 1887 · Japan
Kao Corporation, often called the Procter & Gamble of Japan, is one of Japan's leaders in personal care products,…
Kao Corporation →
Active · founded 1887 · Japan
Kao Corporation, often called the Procter & Gamble of Japan, is one of Japan's leaders in personal care products,…
NL Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1891
NL Industries, Inc.
NL Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1891
NL Industries, Inc.
Rhône-Poulenc S.A. →
Active · founded 1895 · France
Rhône-Poulenc S.A.
Rhône-Poulenc S.A. →
Active · founded 1895 · France
Rhône-Poulenc S.A.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company →
Active · founded 1898
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Goodyear) is a major manufacturer, distributor, and seller of tires worldwide and…
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company →
Active · founded 1898
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Goodyear) is a major manufacturer, distributor, and seller of tires worldwide and…
The Clorox Company →
Active · founded 1913
Although best known for the household bleach that bears the firm's name, The Clorox Company is a diversified…
The Clorox Company →
Active · founded 1913
Although best known for the household bleach that bears the firm's name, The Clorox Company is a diversified…
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company →
Active · founded 1915
E.I.
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company →
Active · founded 1915
E.I.
AlliedSignal Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1920
AlliedSignal Inc., formed from the acquisition of Signal Companies, Inc.
AlliedSignal Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1920
AlliedSignal Inc., formed from the acquisition of Signal Companies, Inc.
PetroFina S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1920 · Belgium
PetroFina S.A., Belgium's largest corporation, is the 15th largest publicly traded integrated oil and gas company in…
PetroFina S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1920 · Belgium
PetroFina S.A., Belgium's largest corporation, is the 15th largest publicly traded integrated oil and gas company in…
FMC Corporation →
Active · founded 1928
FMC Corporation is a leading producer of industrial and specialty chemicals and maintains interests in defense systems,…
FMC Corporation →
Active · founded 1928
FMC Corporation is a leading producer of industrial and specialty chemicals and maintains interests in defense systems,…
Nalco Chemical Corporation →
Active · founded 1928
With nearly one-fifth of the global market for water treatment chemicals, Nalco Chemical Company dominates that $3…
Nalco Chemical Corporation →
Active · founded 1928
With nearly one-fifth of the global market for water treatment chemicals, Nalco Chemical Company dominates that $3…
Great Lakes Chemical Corporation →
Active · founded 1933
Great Lakes Chemical Corporation is one of the world's largest manufacturers of bromine and brominated chemical…
Great Lakes Chemical Corporation →
Active · founded 1933
Great Lakes Chemical Corporation is one of the world's largest manufacturers of bromine and brominated chemical…
Hawkins Chemical, Inc. →
Active · founded 1938
Hawkins Chemical, Inc.
Hawkins Chemical, Inc. →
Active · founded 1938
Hawkins Chemical, Inc.
Hach Co. →
Active · founded 1951
Hach Co.
Hach Co. →
Active · founded 1951
Hach Co.
Tosco Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Tosco Corporation is one of the largest independent refiners of petroleum products in the United States.
Tosco Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Tosco Corporation is one of the largest independent refiners of petroleum products in the United States.
Roche Bioscience →
Active · founded 1957
Roche Bioscience was formed in 1995 following the acquisition of Syntex Corp.
Roche Bioscience →
Active · founded 1957
Roche Bioscience was formed in 1995 following the acquisition of Syntex Corp.
Montedison S.p.A. →
Defunct · founded 1966 · Italy
Montedison S.p.A.
Montedison S.p.A. →
Defunct · founded 1966 · Italy
Montedison S.p.A.
Melamine Chemicals, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Melamine Chemicals, Inc.
Melamine Chemicals, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Melamine Chemicals, Inc.
Gaylord Container Corporation →
Active · founded 1986
Gaylord Container Corporation is a major national manufacturer and distributor of corrugated containers,…
Gaylord Container Corporation →
Active · founded 1986
Gaylord Container Corporation is a major national manufacturer and distributor of corrugated containers,…
Sterling Chemicals, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Sterling Chemicals, Inc.
Sterling Chemicals, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Sterling Chemicals, Inc.
ARCO Chemical Company →
Active · founded 1987
The ARCO Chemical Company manufactures intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of consumer and industrial products.
ARCO Chemical Company →
Active · founded 1987
The ARCO Chemical Company manufactures intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of consumer and industrial products.
IMC Fertilizer Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
IMC Fertilizer Group, Inc.
IMC Fertilizer Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
IMC Fertilizer Group, Inc.
OM Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
Created through the 1991 merger of America's Mooney Chemicals, Inc., Finland's Kokkola Chemicals Oy, and France's…
OM Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
Created through the 1991 merger of America's Mooney Chemicals, Inc., Finland's Kokkola Chemicals Oy, and France's…
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