RSSArkema Inc.
Company Information
What’s in a name? For Arkema, a lot.
In 1850 the company now known as Arkema was organized by five Philadelphia Quakers and incorporated as The Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. In 1957 Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. changed its name to Pennsalt Chemicals Corp. In 1969 Wallace and Tiernan Inc. merged into Pennsalt Chemicals Corp. The name of the company changed to Pennwalt Corp. Then, in 1989 Atochem North America Inc., was formed on Dec. 31 as a result of the merger of Pennwalt Corp., M&T Chemicals, and Atochem Inc. Three years later the name of the company changed from Atochem North America Inc. to Elf Atochem North America Inc. Add in a few more name changes via acquisitions from TotalFina S.A. and finally Arkema was launched on Oct. 1, 2004.
Arkema is a producer of industrial chemicals, including acrylics, PMMA, thiochemicals, fluorochemicals, and hydrogen peroxide and of performance products like technical polymers, specialty chemical organic peroxides and additives. Arkema's 20 plants in North America account for 25% of the company's sales.
Worldwide, Arkema has annual sales of EUR 5.7 billion (US$7 billion) and 15,200 employees, 80 industrial sites in more than 40 countries and six research and development centers.
Company Officers
Thierry Le Hénaff
chairman and CEO, Arkema Worldwide
Born in 1963, Le Hénaff is a graduate of both the École polytechnique and Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, and holds an MBA from Stanford University in the United States. After beginning his career with Peat Marwick Consultants, he joined Total's Adhesives Division in 1992, holding a number of positions internationally. In July 2001, he became CEO of Bostik Findley, a new company created when the Adhesives businesses of Total and Elf Atochem merged. In January 2003, he joined Atofina's executive committee and was placed in charge of three divisions: Agrochemicals, Fertilizers, and Thiochemicals, as well as supervising International Affairs, Purchasing, and Research. He is a member of the Total Management Committee.
Bernard Roche
president and CEO, Arkema Inc.
Roche, managing director of Arkema Japan, was named president CEO of Arkema Inc, effective Oct. 1, 2008. Roche is a 35-year veteran of the company, having worked in manufacturing plants for 10 years, in Human Resources for four years, and 21 years as managing director of several Arkema and predecessor businesses. He was managing director of the Technical Polymers business unit from July 1999 until his appointment to Japan in 2006.
Bernard Leconte
senior vice president, manufacturing & regulatory services
Leconte heads the Engineering and Technology Division as well as the Health, Environment and Safety Departments. He also chairs the Manufacturing Committee. Bernard joined the company in 1978. Prior to his current assignment, he was director of manufacturing for the Thiochemicals Division in the Paris Headquarters.
Investor Information
For the latest financial reports, visit: http://www.arkema.com/sites/group/en/finance/home.page
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Products
Operating any type of chemical or processing plant is an important responsibility—and one fraught with potential problems. Arkema’s products make the job a little easier. For example, corrosion is probably at the top of every list of potential plant problems.
But Kynar polyvinylidene fluoride has proven to be one of the most corrosion-resistant materials available and has saved plant operators throughout the world millions of dollars. Arkema is a leading producer of polyvinylidene fluoride resins, which are used in linings and injection-molded parts for pipes, fittings, and valves. The company also helps sites meet strict environmental regulations through its full-service activated carbon program that helps determine how to best treat process wastewater.
Arkema's technical polymers are used in a wide range of chemical industry applications.
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