The story of the Solvay group began on 15 April 1861, when Ernest Solvay patented a revolutionary ammonia-soda process for producing sodium carbonate. - also known as soda ash - using common salt, ammonia, carbon dioxide (CO2) and lime. Ernest Solvay, born in 1838, was a man with a passionate interest in science, research and innovation and a defender of progressive social ideals.Together with his brother Alfred, he founded the company Solvay & Cie on December 24, 1863 to implement the new process for the industrial production of sodium carbonate. The first Solvay soda factory started operating in Couillet, Belgium in 1865. It used salt from rock salt mines; the lime and CO2 were produced by the calcination of limestone in limekilns. The ammonia was recovered from the production process for re-use. The chemicals sector makes hydrogen peroxide and soda ash (used to make glass). And Solvay's pharmaceuticals include cardiological drugs, gastrointestinal enzymes, and antidepressants. However, it agreed to sell that last unit to Abbott Labs in 2009 for about E5.2 billion ($7.6 billion US). Belgian holding company Solvac owns more than 30% of Solvay.

Thai KK Industry developed its business model and stuck with it. The company, jointly owned by Thai Eternal Group and Taiwan Eternal Group, manufactures adhesive tapes and labels for use in industrial and printing applications. Thai KK Industry also produces melamine resin, an ingredient in everyday household plastic consumer products like foodware, table coatings, as well as electrical components. The company markets its tape and label products internationally under the KK, Valu, and Scorpion brand names (all manufactured at its production facility in Thailand).

Mays Chemical distributes chemicals and raw materials to customers in the automotive, cosmetics, electronics, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, paint, and pulp and paper industries. Its product lines include acids, alcohols, chlor-alkali products, chlorinated solvents, flavors and fragrances, food additives, glycol ethers, and inorganic chemicals. The company also offers chemical management services, cleaning and sanitation systems, formulated chemical products, and outsourcing services. Mays has customers in more than a dozen countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The firm is owned by president William Mays.

The good thing about being Mapei is that you've got a direct hand in preventing the rug from being pulled out from under you. The Italian specialty chemicals company manufactures adhesives and sealants for floor installations. Mapei operates globally and achieves more than half of its sales from outside of its home country. The Squinzi family founded the company in 1937 and still controls Mapei. The company's name is an acronym of a former name -- Materiali Ausilieri Per l'Edilizia e l'Industria (or Auxiliary Materials for Building and Industry).

Inditherm makes a heat-conducting polymer used for temperature protection for pipelines and storage. It is also used in products such as clothing and medical supplies. Applications include patient warming and muscle heat therapy for the medical market; critical temperature management for mining, utilities, and manufacturing companies; and underpitch heating for sports stadiums (such as the training grounds for Premier League clubs Chelsea and Aston Villa). Inditherm's Speedheat product is used instead of heat packs for sports injuries. Storage products include heated jackets for drums, storage tanks, and intermediate bulk containers. The company was founded in 1998 by Pat O'Grady, who still owns a small stake.

Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha's name is as complicated as some of the chemicals it manufactures. The company, which is the Denka Group primary subsidiary, operates four business segments: organic materials, inorganic materials, electronic products, and functional materials and processed products. It makes products such as fertilizers, synthetic rubber, cement additives for construction and cement production, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and vinyl acetate resins used to produce synthetic rubber and plastics, and semiconductor-related electronic materials (including styrene resins used in semiconductor chips).

Jamestown Paint had been around when the original Jamestown was settled, residents could have painted their wagons any color they wished. The company, a family-run business founded in 1885, makes more than 2,000 varieties of coatings used by automotive OEMs and other manufacturing companies, including producers of heavy machinery, pipes and containers, general industrial products, and office furniture. It also provides custom formulation, process optimization, training, and waste reduction services. The company serves domestic and international customers, with a focus on clients in the northeastern US.

Scapa Group thrives in sticky situations. The company makes technical adhesive tapes and films used by the automotive, aerospace, graphic arts, sports, electronics, industrial assembly, and medical markets. Scapa's commercial customers use its technical tapes for assembly and repair, protection, insulation, and identification. Specific uses range from medical bandages to shin guard protection for hockey players to electronic component assembly. The Acutek International subsidiary is a medical products manufacturer specializing in adhesive components. Scapa has rid itself of most noncore operations to focus on tapes.

CR Brands keeps cleaning brands fresh by acquiring and reviving them. Banking on the idea that one company's trash is another's treasure, CR Brands bought Oxydol and BIZ detergents from Procter & Gamble (P&G) in 2000. Co-founded by former P&G managers and chemical engineers, CR Brands believes that with fresh marketing it can jump-start sales of the 70-year-old Oxydol detergent that put the "soap" in soap opera with its sponsorship of radio programs in the 1930s. BIZ was introduced nationally in 1968. CR Brands makes and markets branded and private label heavy-duty cleaning products through grocery, discount, and dollar stores. Business development firm Allied Capital owns the company.

Osmose has its way. The company makes wood preservatives that repel water and termites, as well as inhibit the growth of mold. Among its consumer products are stains and water repellants; the company also makes preservatives for lumber and plywood. For railroads, Osmose produces preservatives for railroad ties and offers maintenance services. It also provides pole maintenance services and mobile communications software for utilities. Beginning in the mid-1990s the company began to focus on expanding internationally and now has operations in Canada, Latin America, Europe, and throughout the Asia/Pacific region.

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