Imperial Chemical Industries

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ICI was once the world's largest producer of paints and coatings.ref It played a key role in the development of chemical products, including the dyestuff phthalocyanine (1929), Perspex (1932), polyethylene (1937), and Terylene (1941). The pharmaceutical business developed a number of key products, including anti-malarial drug Paludrine (1940s), anaesthetic agent halothane (1951, beta-blocker Inderal (1965), breast cancer drug tamoxifen (1978), and high performance thermoplastic PEEK (1979.

ICI also developed controversial herbicides Paraquat and Gramoxone (1962); as well as several insecticides: pirimiphos-methyl (1967), pirimicarb (1970); and synthetic pyrethroid insecticides such as lambda-cyhalothrin (late 1970s); and rodenticide brodifacoum (1974).

Aug.2007: Having sold many of its historically profitable commodities businesses, as well as many of the new speciality businesses which it had failed to integrate, ICI consisted mainly of the Dulux paints business, and quickly found itself the subject of a takeover by Akzo Nobel NV.ref,ref

In Jan.2008, Akzo Nobel completed its takeover of ICI.ref To satisfy the concerns of the European Commissioner for Competition, various businesses were disposed of:

  • The adhesives business was transferred to Henkel AG & Company KGaA.ref
  • The Crown Paints subsidiary, 2nd largest decorative coatings manufacturer in the UK, was sold to Hempel Fonden, a privately-owned international coatings supplier for the decorative, protective, marine, container and yacht markets.ref

The remaining operations were hived up, and Imperial Chemical Industries was no more.

Timelines

2006 Quest International, the flavours and fragrances business, was sold to Givaudan SA;ref and Uniqema, the oleochemical business, to Croda International plc.ref
Jan.2002 Chlor-Chemicals, Klea and the Crosfield remnant: ICI agreed to sell its chloralkali, Klea fluorochemicals and Crosfield silica-derivatives businesses to Ineos. The chloralkali business was taken over by a joint venture, "Ineos Chlor", between ICI (15%), and Ineos (85%).ref The Crosfield business was rebranded as "Ineos Silicas".ref Crosfield, with operations in Joliet, IL, was a major manufacturer of silica and alumina products, including silicates and zeolites. Klea manufactures fluorine-based products, and Chlor-Chemicals is a major chlor-alkali producer in Europe and a global supplier of chlorine derivatives.ref
Nov.2001 Cleveland Potash Ltd: ICI transferred ownership of Boulby Mine to Israel Chemicals Ltd,ref a member of Israel Corporation Ltd.AR-Dec.2001
Dec.2000 The chlor-alkali business in the north west of England, the last of ICI's industrial chemicals businesses, was sold to Ineos.ref
Oct.2000 PPG Industries Inc announced an agreement to acquire ICI plc’s refinish coatings, industrial coatings and Grow Automotive solvents and thinners businesses. The acquisition excluded business units in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The businesses to be acquired included a variety of powder and liquid industrial coatings assets in Latin America and Asia in addition to Grow Automotive, based in North America. Also included was a refinish coatings manufacturing facility in the UK.ref
Sept.2000 ICI announced an agreement to sell its International Fluoropolymers business to Asahi Glass Company of Japan. The business operates production facilities in Bayonne, NJ, and Fleetwood, UK, and a downstream specialty polytetrafluoroethylene operation in Thorndale, PA. The business’s primary product, “Fluon” PTFE, is used in nonstick coatings for cookware, architectural coatings and other industrial applications.ref
2000 Huntsman International LLC bought ICI's diisocyanate, advanced materials, and speciality chemicals businesses at Teesside and worldwide (including plants at Rozenburg in the Netherlands, South Africa, Malaysia and Taiwan), and Tioxide, its titanium dioxide subsidiary.ref
Oct.1999 ICI Acrylics: ICI agreed to sell the business to Ineos Acrylics Ltd. It manufactured methyl methacrylate monomer, polymethyl methacrylate, and acrylic sheet and resins, sold under a variety of trade names including the 'Perspex' and 'Lucite' brands. ref
Apr.1999 Polyurethanes, Tioxide and selected Petrochemicals: ICI agreed to sell the polyurethanes, titanium dioxide, aromatics and petrochemicals businesses to the Huntsman Corporation, the largest privately-owned chemicals group in North America.ref,ref
Jan.1999 UniQema: ICI merged 5 businesses (Unichema specialty oleochemicals business, ICI Surfactants, ICI Synthetic Lubricants, Solaveil and Mona Industries), forming a health and personal care products company.ref
Mar.1998 Acheson Industries Inc, an American manufacturer of electronic materials for products including switches in computer keyboards and films for medical devices, was acquired.ref,ref Acheson will be consolidated into National Starch and Chemicals and will effectively double National's growing global electronic engineering materials division.ref Acheson sells to the Americas, Europe and Asia.ref,ref
Apr.1998 Crosfield Company, maker of ingredients for detergents, paper and surface coatings, was sold to USA firm WR Grace & Company of Florida. The sale included Crosfield's international operations in Europe, the Americas, South Africa and Asia, but excluded a small part of the chemical catalyst business related to methanol production.ref Crosfield was founded in Warrington as a salt maker in 1815, but moved into making soap products in 1861.ref
1997 Acquisitions:
  •  ??.1997: Rutz & Huber, a Swiss paints business, was acquired.ref
  •  ??.1997: acquired Unilever's speciality chemicals businesses, and food flavourings and fragrance businesses,ref comprising National Starch & Chemical,ref Quest International,ref Unichema,refref and Crosfield Company.ref,ref

ICI's bank debt, taken on to finance acquisitions since 1994, had reached ~£4bn. To reduce the burden, unwanted commodity businesses were gradually sold off, with ICI eventually being left with the adhesive and starch company National Starch and the paint brand Dulux.

  •  ??.1997: the polyester film and polyester intermediates chemicals businesses were sold to DuPont.ref
  • Jul.1997: ICI Australia Ltd: ICI sold its 62.4% stake in its bulk chemicals Australian subsidiary.ref As a result, ICI Australia was required to change its name and was renamed as Orica LtdWikipedia-W.svg in Feb.1998. (Orica Ltd bought the Botany Bay plant in New South Wales.ref)
1995 Grow Group, an American paint company, was acquired.ref
1994 ICI acquired a number of former Unilever businesses in an attempt to move away from its historical reliance on cyclical bulk chemicals chemicals, and to progress up the value chain to become a higher growth, higher margin business.
1993
Zeneca-Group-1993.svg
Zeneca Group plc was formed by ICI demerging its pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and specialities, seeds and biological businesses into a new, publicly-listed corporation.ref,ref Marlow Foods, Quorn Foods's parent company, became a part of the newly-formed group. After the demerger, ICI's 4 main businesses were paints, explosives, materials and industrial chemicals. ICI continued producing industrial polymers and other chemicals, paints, and explosives.
1991‑1992 Divestments: Recession, coupled with competition, imports from Eastern Europe and the USA, higher electricity and feedstock prices, plus the loss of refining capacity in Kuwait, led to ICI undertaking a radical restructuring programme, concentrating on its core business and divesting unprofitable and non-core activities.AR-Dec.1991
  •  ??.1992: Scottish Agricultural Industries Ltd, agricultural merchants and manufacturer of fertilisers, was sold to Norsk Hydro ASA.[?ref?] OC
  •  ??.1992: The European nylon business was sold to DuPont (E I du Pont de Nemours and Company).ref, p.11
  • Feb.1992: Salt: the rock salt and white salt businesses were sold to an investor group led by USA private equity firm Harris & Associates Inc.
  • Sept.1991: Britag Industries Ltd was sold to Norsk Hydro ASA, as part of ICI's divestiture of non-core assets.ref
  •  ??.1991: the UK and Kenya soda ash businesses were divested, forming Brunner Mond Holdings Ltd, and seeing the recreation of the original Brunner Mond as an independent company.ref,ref
  •  ??.1991: Ellis and Everard, chemical distributors, was sold.
  •  ??.1991: MTM and Nalfloc, specialist chemical companies, were sold.
  •  ??.1991: Surplus commodity alcohol and plasticiser capacity was divested.
1989 ICI Australia's Dry Creek Saltfields and nearby soda ash plant at Osborne were sold to Penrice Soda ProductsWikipedia-W.svg.ref
Jun.1987
Stauffer-Chemicals.svgDeals-Arrow-Left.svg
Stauffer Chemical Company, an American manufacturer of herbicides for corn and rice, was acquired from Unilever. Stauffer was a subsidiary of Chesebrough-Ponds Inc, which Unilever had acquired in Dec.1986.ref Later that year, ICI sold Stauffer's basic chemicals business to Rhône-Poulenc SA.ref
Oct.1986 Glidden Coatings & Resins was acquired from Hanson Trust plc's subsidiary SCM Corporation shortly after its takeover, making ICI the world's largest paint producer.ref,ref
Feb.1985
Beatrice-Foods-Company-1984.svgDeals-Arrow-Left.svg
Beatrice Chemical: Beatrice Foods Company sold their chemicals division to ICI. The business units were: Stahl Finish, Paule Chemical, Polyvinyl Chemical Industries, Converters Ink Company, and Thoro System Products.ref
1984
Quorn-Foods-2011.svg
Quorn: ICI and Ranks Hovis McDougall established Marlow Foods,CH a joint venture to create the meat substitute product Quorn.ref,ref In Oct.1990, Ranks Hovis McDougall exited the joint venture by selling its shares to ICI. In 1993, Quorn entered distribution in the UK; was introduced to other parts of Europe in the 1990s, and to North America in 2002.ref
1983 BritAg Fertilisers: Albright and Wilson Ltd's fertiliser business was acquired.[1]
Feb.1983 Carrington Viyella Ltd, in which ICI still held a stake of 49.2%,[2] was taken over by Vantona Group Ltd.[3]
1977 Imperial Metal Industries Ltd was spun off as an independent quoted company (see IMI plc).
1971 Atlas Chemical Industries Inc, a major American competitor, was acquired as part of a planned expansion into the North American chemical market. Atlas Chemical primarily produced prescription and non‐prescription drugs, but also supplied explosives for the mining and quarrying industries. Atlas Chemical was subsequently renamed as "ICI Inc".[4]
Jul.1971 Atlas Powder Company was purchased by Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd (UK), and became its American affiliate under the name "ICI Americas Inc".ref ref
1970 Carrington Viyella Ltd was formed from the acquisition of Viyella International and, later in the year, Carrington & Dewhurst. ICI held a 64% stake in the new company.ref,ref Carrington & Dewhurst were of interest because the firm was an innovator in the production of cellulosic and synthetic fibres, and its subsidiary MoradaWikipedia-W.svg manufactured polyester. link, link
1962‑1970s Pesticides and Herbicides: early development included Gramoxone (1962, a herbicide), the insecticides pirimiphos-methyl in 1967 and pirimicarb in 1970, brodifacoum (a rodenticide) in 1974; and in the late 1970s, ICI was involved in the early development of synthetic pyrethroid insecticides such as lambda-cyhalothrin.
1967 Cleveland Potash Ltd (was ICI (Minerals) Ltd),OpenCorporates-sm.svg was formed for the construction of Boulby Mine in Redcar and Cleveland, North Yorkshire. The company was a joint venture between ICI and Anglo American Corporation of South Africa Ltd; and later with De Beers.
1967 Viyella International repurchased the shares held by ICI and repaid the loan.
1964 Viyella International Ltd: ICI financed Viyella's purchase of international conglomerate Bradford Dyers Association, taking a 20% interest as part of a strategy to link fibre production and use.ref
Apr.1964 British Nylon Spinners: ICI acquired Courtauld's 50% interest in exchange for its 37.5% stake in Courtaulds. The business was hived up into ICI Fibres, the existing polyester operation.[1]
Aug.1962 ICI's operations in Burma were nationalised as a consequence of the military coup.
1962 Paraquat, a controversial herbicide, was developed.
1957 ICI Pharmaceuticals was formed.
1959 Crimplene was developed by Chesline and Crepes Ltd of Macclesfield, and the patents sold to ICI Fibres.ref Crimplene is a thick polyester yarn used to make fabric; the resulting cloth is heavy and wrinkle-resistant, and retains its shape well.
1940 ICI Australia Ltd established the Dry Creek Saltfields at Dry Creek north of Adelaide, South Australia, with an associated soda ash plant at nearby Osborne.ref
1940s ICI Australia Ltd built a plant at Botany Bay in New South Wales.ref
1940s‑1950s Pharmaceuticals: ICI established its pharmaceutical business and developed a number of key products, including Paludrine (1940s, an anti-malarial drug), halothane (1951, an anaesthetic agent), Inderal (1965, a beta-blocker), tamoxifen (1978, a frequently-used drug for breast cancer), and PEEK (1979, a high performance thermoplastic).
WWII Tube Alloys: ICI was involved with the UK's nuclear weapons programme, codenamed Tube Alloys.ref
1944 Terylene: ICI acquired the rights to make polyester fibre and, much to Courtaulds’ irritation, chose to exploit the fibre on its own rather than through British Nylon Spinners. The polymer (polyethylene terephthalate) had been discovered in 1941 by British textile company Calico Printers Association,ref which did not have the resources to develop it and sold the technology to ICI. David Brunnschweiler and John Hearle (eds), Polyester, fifty years of achievement, Textile Institute, Manchester 1993,ref,p.23
1940 British Nylon Spinners was established as a 50/50 joint venture with Courtaulds.ref In 1929, ICI had negotiated an agreement with DuPont which gave it access to DuPont's nylon technology; but knew little about the industry. The BNS venture brought Courtaulds' know-how to the table. ref, p.23
1930s Plastics: Perspex acrylic sheet was invented, first used in windscreens for cars and aircraft.[5]
1933 Plastics: Polythene: a laboratory accident led scientists to discover a new polymer, polythene - the first plastic. ICI had coined the word ‘plastics’ in 1927, but now it came into its own.[5]
1931 Dulux paints, one of the first alkyd-basedWikipedia-W.svg paints, was co-developed with DuPont.
Dec.1928 Scottish Agricultural Industries Ltd was formed to consolidate the fertiliser and feedstuffs industry in Scotland by acquiring and merging: Alexander Cross and Sons; Cross's Chemical Company; J and J Cunningham; John Miller and Company (Aberdeen); Charles Tennant and Company of Carnoustie; David Wylie and Company. ICI acquired a majority shareholding of 62.4%, ref which became 100% in Mar.1987.AR-Dec.1987, p.6
1920s ICI played a key role in the development of new chemical products, including the dyestuff phthalocyanine (1929), the acrylic plastic Perspex (1932), polyethylene (1937), and polyethylene terephthalate fibre known as Terylene (1941).
Dec.1926 Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd was formed to amalgamate 4 British chemical companies: #Brunner, Mond & Company Ltd; #Nobel Industries Ltd; #United Alkali Company Ltd; and #British Dyestuffs Corporation Ltd. ICI’s constituent companies produced chemicals, dyes, explosives, fertilisers, fibres, nonferrous metals, and paints; the group went on to produce a wide range of chemicals, paints, pharmaceuticals, synthetic fibres (especially polyesters and nylon), and plastics. ICI inherited the Sunbeam motorcycle business, which had come with Nobel Industries, and continued to build motorcycles until 1937.ref
Additional Sources: ICI: History. Imperial Chemical Industries Limited. Original archived on Oct.17.2008.Grace's GuideBritannica.com, Jun.2019.

ToDo: When were Devoe High Performance Coatings and Crown Paints acquired by ICI?
ICI divested businessses: link; strategy; link; History; beta-blockers; link; link; link; Dulux; Logo evolution; Nouryon: link (Carlyle Group and GIC); Nouryon: link, link, Saved-Pics/Atlas-Chemical-Industries.xcf (1960s/1970s)); Atlas Chemical Trademark reg. 1964; link.

Dulux

Dulux-ICI.svg
Dulux is manufactured by AkzoNobel, with the USA markets being served by PPG Industries Inc since Apr.2013. The name Dulux is derived from the words Durable + Luxury.

Dulux Decorator Centre, a trade and retail store chain in the UK, is operated by AkzoNobel. Offering the Dulux Trade brand along with other AkzoNobel brands such as Armstead, Hammerite, and Cuprinol, it is also a supplier of decorating accessories, wallpaper and workwear from a large number of other manufacturers. duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk

Dulux Trade Contract Partnership is a scheme for independently assessed, quality assured contractors. Dulux Trade Contract Partners undergo regular site visits by independent scheme assessors to monitor standards and to identify opportunities for improvement. www.contractpartnership.co.uk, duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk


Dec.2012 The Dulux decorative paint business in Canada was sold to PPG Industries Inc's Architectural Coatings division.
Oct.2011
Dulux-2010.svg
Let's Colour rebrand: Having previously used different brand identities in different markets, the names were joined under the "Let's Colour" brand platform. The new global brand identity was being rolled out worldwide, starting in Canada, China, India, South East Asia and Pacific and the Netherlands. Other countries followed during the course of the year. The phrase acts both as a strapline and a generic designation for the product category. The Let's Colour identity includes the brands Dulux, Flexa, Levis, Alba, Coral, Marshall, Astral, Bruguer, Dulux Valentine, Inca, Sadolin and Vivechrom.ref
Jul.2010 Dulux Group was spun off as a separate company.
Jan.2008
Akzo-Nobel.svgDeals-All-Change.svg
AkzoNobel NV acquired Dulux, as part of its acquisition of ICI.ref
Feb.1998 Orica Ltd: ICI Australia became an independent company. In Australia and New Zealand, Dulux was wholly-owned by Orica.
1997 ICI plc informed ICI Australia of its intention to sell its 62% share in the company as part of raising the capital for acquisition of part of Unilever. Dulux Australia had been a key player in the ICI Paints World Group in all paint markets (decorative, automotive, refinish, industrial, powder coatings), but then sold off the technical markets (and the Clayton site) to PPG Industries Inc, concentrating on decorative, woodcare and powder coatings, and moving to a new site in Clayton, previously owned by Chesebrough-Ponds.
1996
Dulux-Select-Decorators-1996.svg
Dulux Select Decorators, a nationwide network of professional decorators, was launched to assure consumers of high-quality work including a two-year guarantee supported by Dulux.ref
1996 ICI acquired Cabots.ref
1988 British and Berger Paints, both major rivals, were acquired by Dulux.
1970s Walpamur Paints was acquired.
1971 Dulux Australia Ltd: taking its cue from survey evidence that the Australian public had no idea what Balm Paints was, but everyone knew Dulux, the company changed its name yet again.
1955 Balm Paints Pty Ltd: the company changed its name; and again later in ?? to Balm Paints Ltd.
1953 Dulux paints became available in the retail market.
1931 Dulux paints, one of the first alkyd-basedWikipedia-W.svg paints, was co-developed by ICI with DuPont. Initially, main customers were decorators and their suppliers.
1918 British Australian Lead Manufacturers Pty Ltd was established in Sydney. The company promptly bought both Clarkson Ltd and Australasian United Paints Pty Ltd.ref
1906Australasian United Paints Pty Ltd was founded in Adelaide.
1904 HL Vosz Ltd, Australia's first paint manufacturer, was founded in Port Adelaide. Vosz later became Clarkson Ltd.
ToDo:
  • Brands (2006): Alabastine (Holland), Alba (Argentina), CIL (Canada), Coral (Brazil), ...
  • www.icipaints.arch
  • Polycell, polycell.co.uk, link. AkzoNobel owns the Polycell brand.
  • Weathershield, Cuprinol, cuprinol.co.uk, link, link
  • Let's colour, link

Atlas Powder Company

ToDo: link, link, link, link

Brunner, Mond & Company Ltd

ToDo: Brunner, Mond & Co. LtdWikipedia-W.svg

British Dyestuffs Corporation Ltd

ToDo: British Dyestuffs Corporation LtdWikipedia-W.svg

United Alkali Company Ltd

ToDo: United Alkali Company LtdWikipedia-W.svg

Nobel Industries Ltd

ToDo: Nobel Industries LtdWikipedia-W.svg

Sunbeam motorcycles: ceased production in 1937.ref

Stauffer Chemical Company

Stauffer-Chemicals.svg
Stauffer Chemical Company was an American chemical company which manufactured agrichemicals, food additives and plastics. In Jul.1987, ICI took over the company with an eye on its agrichemicals business; the rest of it was broken up and sold off.

  • Oct.1987: Stauffer's Basic Chemicals business was sold to Rhône-Poulenc SA.[6]
  • Sept.1987: Stauffer's Specialty Chemicals businesses was sold to Akzo NV of the Netherlands. ICI planned to sell 3 smaller Stauffer businesses involved in formulated foods, fabricated plastics and chloralkali products, with a view to focusing on the agrichemicals sector.[6]
  • Jul.1987: ICI bought Stauffer Chemical Company from Chesebrough-Ponds Inc.[7][8]
  • Dec.1987: Unilever purchased Chesebrough-Ponds Inc, including Stauffer Chemical Company.[6]
  • Feb.1985: Chesebrough-Ponds Inc, a cosmetics and personal care manufacturer, acquired Stauffer Chemical Company after it fell on hard times.[9]
  • 1982: Formosa Plastics Corporation of Taiwan bought Stauffer's Delaware City PVC plastics business and plant.
  • 1981: Stauffer permanently shut down its Long Beach PVC plant, as the cost of compliance with Los Angeles County’s new air emissions and water discharge regulations made operation there prohibitive.
  • 1980s: The Fall: Stauffer became tarnished by association with highly-polluting companies such as the Hooker Chemical Company. It had its own portfolio of SuperfundWikipedia-W.svg sites contaminated with PVC, chlorinated hydrocarbons and mercury. Endocrine disruptors in its fire-retardant products Tyrol and Fyrol, absorbed through the skin, didn't help matters. Lastly, as globalisation gathered force, USA exports fell and, consequently, so did farming - negatively impacting Stauffer's agrichemical business.[10]
  • 1960s: The Rise: Stauffer went from strength to strength. Its product portfolio contained carbon disulfide; Crystex (a CS2 derivative); sulphuric acid; Eptam (s-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate); Sutan (thiocarbamate herbicide produc); Betasan (herbicide); Shloralki production using mercury; carbon tetrachloride ; Stauffer-Perc (perchloroethylene, used for dry cleaning). VCM (Stauffer was one of the developers of the oxychlorination process for the production of vinyl chloride monomer); phosphates; and silicones. Stauffer was awarded the first patents for glyphosate.[10]
  • 1953: Stauffer Chemical Company went public.
  • 1931: Pacific Hard Rubber Company was founded as a new manufacturing subsidiary.
  • 1885: Stauffer Chemical Company was founded in San Francisco as a partnership between two young Europeans; a German, John Stauffer Sr, and a Frenchman, Christian de Guigne. Discarded shipping ballast quarried from the chalk cliffs of Dover was the cheap raw material used as input.
Additional Sources: The Making and Breaking of a Great American Chemical Company. Ramin Abhari, LinkedIn, Oct.12.2017. Original archived on Nov.11.2020.
ToDo: link, link, link

References

  1. ^ The Awakening Giant: Continuity and Change in Imperial Chemical Industries. Andrew M Pettigrew, & Routledge 2011, World Catalogue, 1985.
  2. ^ Final Hyman appeal against Viyella takeover. The Times Archive, Jan.19.1983.
  3. ^ Vantona merger go ahead. The Times Archive, Feb.10.1983.
  4. ^ Imperial to buy Atlas Chemical. The New York Times Archive, Apr.15.1971.
  5. ^ a b ICI: History. 1930s - The Early Years. Imperial Chemical Industries Limited. Original archived on Oct.17.2008.
  6. ^ a b c Imperial Set to Sell More Stauffer Units The New York Times, Sept.23.1987.
  7. ^ Unilever Seeking Buyer for Stauffer. via Reuters, The New York Times, Apr.09.1987.
  8. ^ Imperial Set to Buy Stauffer. Jonathan P Hicks, The New York Times, Jun.06.1987.
  9. ^ Chesebrough Will Buy Stauffer for $1.2 Billion. Los Angeles Times, Feb.20.1985. Original archived
  10. ^ a b The Making and Breaking of a Great American Chemical Company. Ramin Abhari, MS ChE, PE, LinkedIn, Oct.12.2017. Original archived on Nov.11.2020.