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175 Year History Timeline: 1840 - 2015

Each milestone brings us closer to realizing our vision.

When Henkel KGaA acquired the Emery division from Quantum in 1989, our pasts became intertwined. In 2015, we had three main manufacturing assets - each having had its distinct journeys and an innovation and growth story that underscores our vision of becoming a leader in natural-based specialty chemicals:

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Emery

The original Emery Oleochemicals 8.9-acre site in St.Bernard was established in 1885 by the Emery brothers. It is still part of the company’s 35 acre site today which resides adjacent to another long-respected Cincinnati-based company, Procter & Gamble.

 

  •  

    1840

    Thomas Emery Sr. starts lard oil factory

  •  

    1885

    Plant downtown is damaged by floods, necessitating the move to new site in St. Bernard
  •  

    1887

    Emery Candle Company is incorporated in Ohio with capital of $200,000

  •  

    1890

    Application of Twitchell Splitting developed by Dr. Twitchell
  •  

    1898

    Twitchell Method of splitting fats is first patented; with 4 additional patents to follow between 1899-1915

  •  

    1935

    Merger of several Emery companies into Emery Industries, Inc.
  •  

    1938

    EMERSOL® Solvent Separation plant is built and the process is patented

  •  

    1940

    Work begins on oleic acid cleavage to create azelaic and pelargonic acid
  •  

    1942

    First oxidation plant comes on stream; plasticizers are introduced

  •  

    1947

    First Colgate-Emery pressure splitter begins operations and the process is patented
  •  

    1948

    Solvent Plant “C” in operation

  •  

    1949

    New boiler plant begins generation
  •  

    1951

    Ozone-oxidation process is patented

  •  

    1954

    Plant for ozonation of oleic acid (No.1) in operation
  •  

    1955

    Construction of Twitchell Memorial Laboratory is completed

  •  

    1962

    Ozone plant (No.2) in operation
  •  

    1969

    Emery acquires Malmstrom Chemical Corp. and Trylon Chemicals to strengthen position in personal care and textile chemicals

  •  

    1971

    Major site expansion including third ozone-oxidation facility
  •  

    1978

    Emery merges into National Distillery and Chemical Corp

  •  

    1980

    One of the world’s largest fatty acid distillation columns is installed
  •  

    1981

    Brassylate are commercially produced

  •  

    1985

    Headquarters moves from Carew Tower to new Northlake complex. Company name is changed to Emery Chemicals
  •  

    1988

    Company is renamed to Quantum Chemical Corp. More than USD100,000 allocated for “abundant production capacity”

  •  

    1989

    Quantum’s Emery division is purchased by Henkel KGaA
  •  

    1998

    The site achieves one million man- hours without lost time to accidents

  •  

    1999

    Risk Management Plan is communicated to local community groups. Henkel Chemicals Group officially becomes Cognis
  •  

    2001

    Henkel KGaA divests Cognis to a consortium of private equity firms

  •  

    2005

    Joint venture is formed between Cognis and Golden Hope, Malaysia (later called Sime Darby Plantation). This partnership is called Cognis Oleochemicals.
  •  

    2008

    Cognis sells its shares in Cognis Oleochemicals to PTT Global Chemical (Thailand)

  •  

    2009

    Emery Oleochemicals brand is launched, a nod to the rich Emery legacy
  •  

    2010

    Emery Oleochemicals celebrates 170 years in business and 125th anniversary of the Cincinnati Este Avenue plant

  •  

    2013

    USD50 million site expansion is announced, to grow capacity and state-of-the-art technical capabilities in bio-polyols which will be driven by a new business platform called Eco-Friendly Polyols. Expansion will also benefit the Bio-Lubricants and Agro Green platforms.
  •  

    2015

    Bio-polyol plants begins commercial production

Loxstedt, Germany

Düsseldorf, Germany


  •  

    1898

    Oscar Neynaber and Friedrich Albert Pust establish a cod liver oil factory in Geestemünde, which soon earns the moniker “First German steam cod liver oil factory”

  •  

    1908

    The limited commercial partnership Pust & Neynaber in Loxstedt becomes a stock corporation
  •  

    1957

    The brand name LOXIOL® starts manufacturing on November 13 serving the plastics industry

  •  

    1968

    Persil GmbH (subsidiary of Henkel & Cie, Düsseldorf) took over Oscar Neynaber & Co AG, which specializes in oleochemical products such as plastics auxiliaries. The company was renamed to Neynaber Chemie GmbH
  •  

    1991

    An esterification plant to produce plastics additives goes into operation

  •  

    1994

    The powder blending plant for environmental-friendly stabilizer for PVC is constructed
  •  

    1998

    To mark its 100th anniversary, Neynaber Chemie donates DM100,000 for youth work in Loxstedt

  •  

    1999

    Henkel Chemicals Group officially becomes Cognis
  •  

    2001

    Henkel KGaA divests Cognis to a consortium of private equity firms

  •  

    2004

    The PVC stabilizer business is sold to Reagans and Sun Ace
  •  

    2005

    Joint venture is formed between Cognis and Golden Hope, Malaysia (later called Sime Darby Plantation), called Cognis Oleochemicals

  •  

    2008

    Cognis sells its shares in Cognis Oleochemicals to PTT Global Chemical (Thailand)
  •  

    2009

    Emery Oleochemicals brand is launched, a nod to the rich Emery legacy.

  •  

    2012

    Warehouse space is enlarged, esterification facility begins production
  •  

    2013

    Another esterification facility extension goes on stream and Technical Development Centre is launched

  •  

    2014

    Beading tower is completed and plant goes on stream

  •  

    1909

    Henkel’s first fat splitting plant comes on stream in Holthausen on December 18 producing glycerine

  •  

    1913

    First firefighter is appointed as the Plant Fire Department’s fulltime employee
  •  

    1916

    40-year anniversary publication is issued

  •  

    1929

    Purchase of the first company-owned ambulance
  •  

    1932

    Fatty acid production commences. A turbine house is built to generate electricity and process heat which is utilized in line with heat and power generation principles

  •  

    1935

    A fat hydrogenation plant begins operation and the plant opens its new company canteen
  •  

    1937

    Employees receive a Christmas gift bag for the first time

  •  

    1940

    Henkel organizes a plant kindergarten as well as a part-time site medical service
  •  

    1951

    Expansion of the distillation plant and fatty acid tank farm.

  •  

    1974

    Installation of a solvent-free crystallisation plant for stearic and oleic separation
  •  

    1984

    Triacetine plant comes on stream

  •  

    1989

    Quantum’s Emery division is purchased by Henkel KGaA, and the new entity named Henkel Emery Group is established
  •  

    1991

    Introduction of enhanced fractionation technology

  •  

    1995

    Introduction of hydrogenation using precious metal catalyst
  •  

    1999

    Henkel Chemicals Group officially becomes Cognis

  •  

    2001

    Henkel KGaA divests Cognis to a consortium of private equity firms
  •  

    2003

    Enlargement of splitting and distillation capacities

  •  

    2004

    Modernization and enlargement of glycerine factory
  •  

    2005

    Joint venture is formed between Cognis and Golden Hope, Malaysia (later called Sime Darby Plantation). This partnership is called Cognis Oleochemicals

  •  

    2008

    Cognis sells its shares in Cognis Oleochemicals to PTT Global Chemical (Thailand)
  •  

    2009

    Emery Oleochemicals brand is launched, a nod to the rich Emery legacy

  •  

    2010-2014

    Various automation, efficiency and capacity upgrades enhances quality and logistic related processes
  •  

    2015

    Emery Oleochemicals makes a strategic decision to divest the Düsseldorf commodity operations in line with its corporate focus on building the company’s specialty chemicals portfolio

  •  

    1980

    Foundation of Henkel Oleochemicals Malaysia is laid

  •  

    1984

    Production of fatty acids and methylesters begins
  •  

    1992

    Another fatty alcohols plant comes on stream

  •  

    1999

    Henkel Chemicals Group officially becomes Cognis
  •  

    2001

    Henkel KGaA divests Cognis to a consortium of private equity firms

  •  

    2003

    Fractionation capacity is increased
  •  

    2005

    Joint venture formed between Cognis and Golden Hope, Malaysia (later called Sime Darby Plantation). This partnership is called Cognis Oleochemicals

  •  

    2008

    Cognis sells its shares in Cognis Oleochemicals to PTT Global Chemical (Thailand)
  •  

    2009

    The Emery Oleochemicals brand is launched, a nod to the rich Emery legacy

  •  

    2012

    Asia Pacific’s first integrated plastic additives starts up in a complex adjacent to the main fatty acids plant
  •  

    2014

    Methylester fractionation plant begins production to support current fatty alcohol production. Sulphation process facility built in partnership with sulphation technology leaders, Desmet Ballestra, begins production in specialty fatty alcohols for household and personal care products

  •  

    2015

    Specialty ester facility, established as a joint venture with AK ChemTech, a leading Korean-based chemical company, comes on stream. Called Emery Aekyung, the site produces a range of specialty co-surfactants used in personal care products, which is to be commissioned in the third quarter

    (*2021 - Emery Oleochemicals makes a strategic decision to divest the Malaysia operations in line with its corporate focus on building the company’s specialty chemicals portfolio)


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