Kuraray's synthetics are for real. The diversified company manufactures chemicals and resins (about half of sales, including copolymer EVAL used in food packaging) and synthetic fibers and textiles (man-made leather, nonwoven fabrics, rayon, and polyester). It also offers engineering and consulting services. Kuraray pioneered the commercialization of several synthetic fibers and resins -- such as its KURALON and Poval products -- for industrial uses. The company, which does most of its business in Japan, is made up of about 80 companies operating in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Penford Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of specialty natural-based ingredient systems for various industrial and food applications in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. It develops and manufactures ingredients with starch as a base. The starch products are manufactured primarily from corn, potatoes, and wheat, and are used as binders and coatings in paper and food production. The various forms of starches include ethylated, oxidized, and cationic. The ethylated and oxidized starches are used in coatings and as binders, providing printability to fine white, magazine, and catalog paper. Cationic and other liquid starches are used in the paper forming process in paper production, providing bonding of paper fibers and other ingredients. Penford sells its products through a direct sales force, as well as through distributor agreements. The company was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado.

Rasa Industries can help your company dig itself a hole. Rasa has three major business segments: machinery, chemicals, and electronic materials. Its machinery segment makes pipe-jacking machines used for tunneling in the installation of sewer, gas, and water lines and electricity and communication networks; it also makes screens and pumps for dealing with the slurry that its pipe-jacking machines produce. Rasa's chemical products include phosphorus, ferric oxide, and phosphoric acid. In 2011 Rasa's electronics division sold its silicon wafer recycling operations to RS Technologies. The unit continues to make high-purity materials such as gallium and phosphorus for electronics.

Jacob Stern & Sons, which primarily operates through subsidiary Acme-Hardesty, is a global oleochemicals and agricultural products distributor. Acme-Hardesty distributes an array of oil- and fat-based chemicals, as well as flavor and fragrance ingredients and industrial chemical products. Its customers include manufacturers of adhesives, coatings, lubricants, soaps, food, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. In addition to the chemicals it gets domestically, Acme-Hardesty's oleochemicals are imported from Asia, the Middle East, and South America.

Zep Inc. produces, markets, and services a range of cleaning and maintenance solutions for commercial, industrial, institutional, and consumer end-markets. Its product portfolio includes anti-bacterial and industrial hand care products, cleaners, degreasers, deodorizers, disinfectants, floor finishes, sanitizers, and pest and weed control products. The company markets its products under the brand names of Zep, Zep Commercial, Zep Professional, Enforcer, and Selig. It offers a line of products for institutional cleaning, sanitation and maintenance cleaning directly through industrial and institutional sales representatives under the Zep and Selig brands. Under the Zep Commercial and Enforcer brands, the company markets professional grade cleaning and maintenance products, as well as plumbing and weed and pest control products through convenient retail outlets. Under the Zep Professional brand, it offers a line of professional-strength cleaning and maintenance products to customers through industrial distributors. Zep Inc. sells its products to the transportation, food processing and service, manufacturing, government, hospitality, contractors, and small business owners primarily in the United States, Canada, and western Europe. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Humatech turns organic matter into food for plants and animals. Humatech claims that its line of organic, humate-based fertilizers, feed additives, and plant nutrients are safer for the environment and channel nutrients to the plants more efficiently. The company markets its products to commercial growers, independent garden consumers, and animal feeders throughout the US; it also has a 45% stake in its UK distributor, Humatech, Ltd.

AptarGroup, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells product dispensing systems. It operates in three segments: Beauty & Home, Closures, and Pharma. The Beauty & Home segment primarily sells pumps and aerosol valves, and accessories to the personal care, household, and food/beverage markets; pumps and decorative components to the fragrance/cosmetic market; and fragrance/cosmetic and personal care fine mist spray pumps, personal care lotion pumps, and continuous spray aerosol valves. The Closures segment provides dispensing closures and non-dispensing closures primarily to the personal care, food/beverage, and household markets. The Pharma segment offers pumps and metered dose inhaler valves for allergy, cold, or flu treatments to the pharmaceutical market. The company sells and markets its products through sales force, independent representatives, and distributors in the United States, Europe, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and Thailand. AptarGroup, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is based in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Japan's oldest paint company is also its largest. Founded in 1881, Nippon Paint produces paints and coatings for makers of automobiles (one of the company's major markets), industrial products, and ships. It also makes paints for residential and commercial buildings and for the do-it-yourself market. Nippon Paint's fine chemicals unit produces adhesives, as well as surface treatment chemicals. The company's manufacturing operations are located principally in Asia, but also in North America and Europe. In the US, Nippon Paint makes automotive coatings and powder coatings through Nippon Paint (USA). The influx of auto makers into China bodes well for the company's already strong automotive division.

Chevron and Phillips Petroleum (now ConocoPhillips) formed 50-50 joint venture Chevron Phillips Chemical Company in 2000. Among the largest US petrochemical firms, the company produces ethylene, propylene, polyethylene, and polypropylene -- sometimes used as building blocks for the company's other products such as pipe. Chevron Phillips Chemical also produces aromatics such as benzene and styrene, specialty chemicals such as acetylene black (a form of carbon black), and mining chemicals. The company has several petrochemicals joint ventures in the Middle East, including Saudi Chevron Phillips Company (50%) and Qatar Chemical Company (not quite 50%).

New Oriental Energy & Chemical Corp. engages in the manufacture and distribution of fertilizer and chemical products in the People’s Republic of China. The company offers urea and coal-based chemicals, including ammonium bicarbonate and liquid ammonia used for nitrogenous fertilizers, and as a raw material for chemical products. It also provides methanol used in the production of medicines, pesticides, dyes, plastics, synthetic proteins, fibers, formaldehydes, and methyl ether; and dimethyl ether used as an additive for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and non-industrial fuel substitute to LPG; as a refrigerant for refrigerators and air conditioners; as a chemical feedstock for the production of acetic acid, acetate, and hydrocyanic acid; and in the production of pesticides and cosmetics, as well as everyday chemical products, such as detergent and hair gel. The company serves chemical, pharmaceutical, light, and textile industries. It sells its products primarily through regional distributors. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Xinyang, the People’s Republic of China.

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