What, other than gravity, keeps your floor from floating up into the heavens? It might be the products manufactured by BASF Building Systems (formerly called Degussa Building Systems), a business unit within BASF's Construction Chemicals division. The division makes adhesives and sealants that bond wood and rubberized flooring to various substrates; its products are also used by the automotive industry to bond metal, plastics, and laminates. As well, BASF Building Systems manufactures sealants, water repellents, grouting, and concrete and masonry repair products. In 2006, BASF, the world's largest chemicals maker, bought Degussa's Construction Chemicals unit for about $3 billion.

Spur Ventures is involved in phosphate mining and phosphate fertilizer manufacturing in a joint venture with Hubei Yichang Phosphate Chemical in China. The Canadian company, which holds a majority interest in the venture, produces NPK fertilizer -- a compound containing nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium -- in China's central province of Hubei. Spur Ventures also operates a phosphoric acid plant in Yichang, which has the capacity to produce 60,000 tons of phosphoric acid per year and will be used to supply the joint venture's fertilizer plant.

Call Masterchem Industries Double-Oh Seven because it's got a license to KILZ. The coatings company -- a subsidiary of home supply giant Masco's BEHR paints business -- manufactures primers, one-coat paints, and rust preventatives under the brands Hammerite and KILZ. The company's two manufacturing facilities are located in and around St. Louis. Masterchem, which was founded in 1954, sells its products through 30,000 retailers nationwide; the vast majority of its products are sold to retail outlets with the remainder sold to distributors. It became a Masco subsidiary in 2000.

In 1908, Morris Brown, an immigrant from Russia, began his daily trip via horse-drawn cart from Bremen, Indiana, to South Bend, Indiana. Morris, and his family, would bring eggs and other farm produce from Bremen to South Bend to trade for other goods not available in his small farming town. One day, while on the road to South Bend, a man asked Morris if he cared to trade produce for peppermint oil. Morris wasn't aware of its value, but was always looking for an opportunity, so he decided to gamble. Morris, and his sons, took the peppermint oil into South Bend and soon realized they could earn more money trading peppermint than eggs and other farm produce, Morris, and his sons, knew this was a business he would develop, and he founded a company named M. Brown & Sons dedicated to selling the finest essential oils available. The Browns worked long hours and very hard so they could support their families and provide integrity and service to their customers.In 1974, Morris Brown's grandson, Irvin Brown, expanded the business by selling herbs, spices, and decorative botanicals. M. Brown & Sons and Lebermuth Company eventually merged into one firm. Four generations later, we have not forgotten what Morris created and the service he provided. In his footsteps we continue to provide you, our clients, the best quality products and service available!

It's not just nuts and bolts that hold your car together. It's also products like EFTEC North America's adhesives and sealants that are responsible for bonding together the myriad parts of an automobile. The company and its sister, EFTEC AG, provide sealants, adhesives, and coatings to the auto industry. Other operations include the manufacture of mineral wool, waxes, PVC products, and elastomers. EFTEC North America's customers include Audi, General Motors, and Mercedes-Benz. The two EFTECs existed as a joint venture between EMS-CHEMIE and H.B. Fuller until 2007 when EMS bought out Fuller's portion of the JV.

BIP (Oldbury) has been dipping into specialty chemicals since its creation in 1894. The company, formerly BIP Limited (and earlier, British Industrial Plastics Limited), is the oldest polymer material manufacturer in the UK. A pioneer in developing thermoset resins and plastic molding materials, it was the first company to patent urea-formaldehyde resins. BIP now makes molding materials and textile and paper chemicals. It manufactures industrial chemicals such as formaldehyde resins, adhesives, and water-based polyurethanes. It also produces a biodiesel product, BIPSE, from discarded vegetable oils. Welsh company Synthite, a subsidiary of the Tennants Group, acquired BIP in 2004.

SNF Floerger is the world's leading manufacturer of synthetic flocculants, laying claim to 38% of the global market. Synthetic flocculants are used in water treatment -- they clarify water by combining with suspended solids. SNF Floerger also makes other products, including superabsorbants and thickeners. The company has more than 30 subsidiaries and operations in more than 130 countries around the world, including SNF Inc. in the US, France, South Korea, and China. It has 18 plants worldwide that serve some 30,000 customers, who in turn serve more than 250,000 end users.

Olin Corporation (NYSE: OLN) has a long history of supplying quality products and services to our customers, while generating value for our shareholders. On a daily basis, we are meeting our customers' evolving needs through innovation and an unwavering commitment to exceeding expectations and maintaining the highest ethical standards. Olin's 3,600 dedicated employees across the country are also fully committed to being good neighbors and environmental stewards in the communities in which our facilities are located.Olin Corporation is a Virginia Corporation, incorporated in 1892, having its principal executive offices in Clayton, MO. We are a manufacturer concentrated in two business segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Winchester. Olin Corporation have been involved in the U.S. chlor alkali industry for more than 100 years and are the 3rd largest producer in the North American chlor alkali market. Chlor Alkali Products manufactures chlorine and caustic soda, sodium hydrosulfite, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, potassium hydroxide and bleach products.

Synthesis Energy Systems, Inc., a development stage company, focuses on developing and commercializing gasification technology primarily in China and the United States. The company intends to build, own, and operate coal gasification plants that utilize its proprietary U-GAS fluidized bed gasification technology to convert low rank coal and coal wastes into higher value energy products, such as transportation fuels and ammonia. Synthesis Energy Systems was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Valhi, Inc is a Delaware corporation that has operations through majority-owned subsidiaries or less than majority-owned affiliates. Valhi’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “VHI.” See the disclosure in Valhi’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10Q and Proxy Statement (see the SEC Filings section of this website) for a recent description of Valhi’s operations and ownership structure.Valhi Inc. is considered a controlled company under the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange. Pursuant to the listing standards, a controlled company may choose not to have a majority of independent directors, independent compensation, nominating or corporate governance committees or charters for these committees. Valhi has chosen not to have a majority of independent directors or an independent nominating or corporate governance committee.

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