Uniqema; a new name in global speciality chemicals
Uniqema a new name in global speciality chemicals
Keywords Chemicals,ICI
On 10 December 1998 ICI announced the formation of Uniqema, a new global speciality chemicals business comprising several members of the ICI Group: ICI Synthetic Lubricants, ICI Surfactants, Mona Industries, Solaveil and Unichema. The new business became operational on 1 January 1999.
Uniqema is to provide a broad portfolio of speciality chemicals product solutions, supported by strong brands, greater applications expertise, world-class technical support and a flexible supply network. Global headquarters are in London, UK and the business will operate from 33 sites around the globe, employing around 3,200 people.
Uniqema will have market-focused teams in all of its key target sectors, staffed by specialists with appropriate sector knowledge. Uniqema aims to give each customer one key point of contact who will marshal all of the business's resources in the most efficient manner to support the customer's own objectives.
The portfolio of some 10,000 products is sold in over 90 countries world-wide. Uniqema claims one of the world's widest ranges in both surfactants and oleochemicals. End-use applications cover a range of industries including agrochemicals, coatings,health care, lubricants, oilfield chemicals, oleochemicals, personal care,polymers, polymer additives, speciality cleaning, spin finish and textile auxiliaries.
All of Uniqema's activities will be delivered locally through a regional structure with major centres in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. The company will have a turnover in excess of $1 billion and an annual Research and Development spend of over $30 million.
Uniqema has 20 sales offices around the world and makes sales in 90 countries to a growing customer base. Uniqema manufactures some 10,000 different products and its technical service teams make over 2,000 visits to customers every year.
The reason for the formation of Uniqema was that market research has shown that customers need new and better solutions, products and services with which to face increasing competition. A strategic review of the separate ICI business units identified synergies that would meet these requirements better. For example, in the new Uniqema Lubricants business unit, complementary technologies from both natural(oleochemical) and mineral chemicals will be available. This will allow Uniqema application scientists to offer a wider range of options to arrive at better solutions for customers. It also gives Uniqema critical mass and stronger market positions in a number of areas.
Mona is another good example of the potential for synergy. The acquisition of Mona brought to ICI excellent surfactant technology which is complementary to existing ICI Surfactants technology. Mona was a family owned company whose size limited its ability to exploit its own skills in an increasingly global market place. In becoming part of Uniqema, Mona will have genuine global coverage. In turn,Uniqema gains access to additional technology solutions in surfactants.
Uniqema will have dedicated teams addressing each of the following markets:
Agrochemicals. Formulation additives and adjuvants developed for enhancing active ingredient efficiency in crop protection.
Coatings. Resin emulsifiers and speciality dispersants for paints,inks, plastics and coatings. Recent developments include a new range that improves colour development with higher pigment or loadings and improved stability.
Food. Surfactants and oleochemicals for ice cream, bread, cakes,chocolate, chewing gum and wine gums.
Health care. A wide range of excipients and ingredients for pharmaceutical, veterinary and dietetic products.
Lubricants. Ingredients for lubricants with longer life, lower running costs and performance advantages. There are special application teams for automotive, compressor and industrial application sectors.
Oilfield chemicals. Concentrated components for formulation and use by oilfield service companies. Key product ranges are demulsifier and corrosion inhibitor bases and drilling additives. Special foaming agents which, when injected with gas, produce a stable foam to enhance oil recovery are also offered.
Oleochemicals. High purity, consistent supplies of fatty acids and glycerines. Global supplies help maintain Uniqema's position as a leading supplier to the oleochemicals industry.
Personal care. Products for skin care, hair care, oral care and toiletries. These include new vegetable-based products for skin care formulations, functional ingredients for cleansing formulations, skin repair products and Solaveil UV protection products.
Personal wash. A range of high quality fatty acids and soap noodles for toilet luxury and gift soap.
Polymers. Building blocks for a wide range of polymeric products such as coating resins, adhesives, printing inks, engineering plastics, fibres and foams. The technology includes building blocks for polycondensates such as polyamides, polyester, epoxy, polyurethane and alkyds. Uniqema building blocks meet high requirements for hydrolytic stability, water repellency, anti corrosion, flexibility, impact strength and heat resistance. For the polyolefin industry, we offer high performance additives with special effects such as anti-blocking, slipping, antistatic, antifogging and wetting.
Rubber. Products to ensure consistent quality and to avoid deviations in the complex polymerisation process for certain types of styrene butadiene rubber and latex.
Speciality cleaning. A wide range of high performance wetters,detergents and emulsifiers and other customised surfactants which deliver unique and more efficient cleaning performance in a variety of household and industrial applications.
Spin finish. A range of formulated spin finishes for specific applications such as nappy/diaper absorption.
Textile auxiliaries. Surfactants, solvents and enzymes for the preparation, dyeing and finishing of fibres and fabrics.
Triacetin for use in cigarette filters and glycerine used as a humectant in tobacco applications.
Uniqema world-wide headquarters will be in London at 30 Queen Anne's Gate. Uniqema's Executive Team will be headed by Executive Chairman, Richard Stillwell, and David MacLeod Executive Vice Chairman.
Uniqema will be structured into strategic business units (SBU), each focusing on particular markets. Three of the SBUs will have a global remit as of 1 January 1999, whilst the other ten SBUs will be initially operated as Regional Speciality Businesses via three regions (Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe). In the long term all businesses will develop to be truly global as customers in those sectors globalise their own operations. All sales will be made through the regional structure.
The longer-term aim is to create a totally global business capable of delivering and responding effectively on a local basis.
