Süd-Chemie celebrates its 150th anniversary  

This year, Süd-Chemie AG, Munich is celebrating its 150th anniversary. On this account there will be a ceremonial act Friday, 20 July 2007, at 11 a.m. in Nymphenburg Palace in Munich . Main speakers at the celebration will be Mr. Michael Glos, the German Federal Minister of Economics and Technology and Professor Dr. Wolfgang A. Hermann, President of Technical University of Munich.  

The company’s foundation in 1857 co-marked the birth of the chemical industry in Germany . Today, Süd-Chemie is an international and technology-oriented global leader in the field of specialty chemistry for adsorbents and catalysts. With sales and earnings recording double-digit annual growth rates for three years in succession and group sales exceeding one billion euros for the first time in 2006, the company will be recruiting a hundred new employees in Germany alone during its anniversary year of 2007. On a worldwide scale, Süd-Chemie employs almost 5,000 people at some seventy subsidiaries, generating over 80% of its sales outside Germany  

“We are one of the oldest chemical enterprises in Germany, and thanks to the future potential of our technology, are better positioned than ever before on international markets for specialty chemicals,” says Dr. Günter von Au, Managing Board Chairman of Süd-Chemie AG.  

Corporate history – developing solutions for the technical challenges of each age  

In 1857, the Bavarian Public Limited Company for Chemical and Agrochemical Products (Bayerische Aktiengesellschaft für chemische und landwirtschaftliche Fabrikate (BAG)) was co-founded by the famous chemist, Justus von Liebig, in the Bavarian town of Heufeld near Munich , with the aim of producing artificial fertilizer to combat the famine threatening the country at that time. Süd-Chemie was officially created in 1941, following the merger of BAG with United Bleaching-Earth Factories plc (Vereinigte Bleicherdefabriken AG), which had production facilities in the Bavarian town of Moosburg . Today, Süd-Chemie’s two largest plants are still located in Heufeld and Moosburg, the company’s headquarters having been situated in Munich since the merger. As at the time of its formation, Süd-Chemie still meets the major technological challenges of its age. Süd-Chemie develops solutions which protect the environment and the climate. In addition, the company’s products enable a sparing use of natural resources and help to exploit new sources of energy to replace the dwindling oil reserves.  

World leader in attractive markets for adsorbents and catalysts  

Each day, everyone comes into contact with Süd-Chemie’s products. Water treatment, environmental protection, protective packaging for pharmaceuticals as well as petrochemicals and energy storage are just some of the areas of activity in which its two operative divisions Adsorbents and Catalysts are engaged.

Adsorbents are specialty chemicals that bind other substances (lat. adsorbere = to bind), thereby optimizing many industrial products and processes in sectors such as the food, foundry, detergent and pharmaceutical packaging industries. Süd-Chemie meanwhile leads the world market for specialty chemicals used to refine edible oils, wine and fruit juices. In the booming market for foundry chemicals, Süd-Chemie is the world’s number two supplier. Almost all detergent manufacturers use Süd-Chemie’s detergent additives as eco-friendly softeners.  

Catalysts accelerate chemical reactions, promoting the efficient manufacture of chemical products while at the same time sparing resources. Areas of application include fertilizers and solvents, plastics and fuels. Today, 80% of all preliminary, intermediate and finished chemical products are made with the aid of catalysts. Besides, these specialty chemicals also make a significant contribution to protecting the environment, for instance by converting pollutants from industrial off-gas into environmentally harmless substances. Süd-Chemie is now one of the world’s leading independent catalyst manufacturers, co-operating with all major chemical and petrochemical companies. Thus, Süd-Chemie is the global market leader for catalysts used in the production of methanol, ammonia, hydrogen and styrene.   

Well-equipped for the future  

Managing Board Chairman Dr. Günter von Au considers Süd-Chemie to be well-equipped for the future: “All the signs still point to rising sales and growing profitability. Environmental protection and new sources of energy for the post-oil era represent global markets of the future in which we are excellently positioned.”  

Today, Süd-Chemie is already developing catalysts that make it possible to manufacture gasoline, diesel and plastics from natural gas and coal, both raw materials that will be available in the longer term, instead of using the still conventional source of oil. Süd-Chemie is the first catalyst manufacturer to be currently building a plant in the Gulf State Qatar, the country with the third largest sources of natural gas in the world. In the course of 2007, it will begin supplying catalysts to convert natural gas into both fuel and other high-quality chemical products based on so-called gas-to-liquid (GTL) processes. In addition, Süd-Chemie is already developing catalysts which may one day be used to manufacture fuel and other chemical products from biomass, i.e. renewable resources. Süd-Chemie, a company with traditional Bavarian routes today operating on a global scale, is also number one in the field of hydrogen catalysis, supplying fuel for highly-promising fuel cells and hydrogen engines.  

Tradition is a commitment – which is why Süd-Chemie remains loyal to Germany . The major part of its R&D activities, and the many highly-qualified jobs these entail, are still located in this country. “On the occasion of our anniversary, thanks are due above all to our employees,” says Dr. von Au. “Every day, they prove yet again that a combination of scientific know-how and entrepreneurial skills is a guarantee of international success. In many cases, their innovations create an initial foothold for technological progress. And based on this solid foundation, I can look ahead with complete confidence.”

Jochen Orlowski
Manager Corporate Public Relations
Süd-Chemie AG
Tel.: +49 89 5110-247
www.sud-chemie.com