K+S Aktiengesellschaft
Salt has preserved K+S (for Kali und Salz) for more than a century. Founded in 1889 to mine salt, K+S gets more than 40% of its sales from potash, which is extracted from salt and used in fertilizers. The company also produces salt used for industrial purposes (such as making glass), as well as for deicing roads and cooking. K+S is Germany's top salt producer and supplies about 12% of the world's potash. In addition, the company recycles waste materials and provides underground waste disposal services. In 2009 the company helped Dow pay for its acquisition of Rohm and Haas by agreeing to buy Morton Salt for about $1.7 billion. The deal makes K+S the world's #1 salt producer.