The Dead Sea has given life to Israel Chemicals Limited (ICL). That body of water is rich in bromine, potash, salt, and magnesium -- minerals that ICL turns into specialty and agrochemicals, among other products. Bromine commonly is used in flame retardants, and potash is a common fertilizer. The company accounts for a third of the world's bromine production and 10% of the world's potash. It is also a major producer of magnesium. Although most of the company's chemicals are produced in Israel (from the Dead Sea), it also mines for fertilizers in Spain and the UK. Investment firm Israel Corporation, controlled by The Ofer Group, owns 53% of ICL.

Makhteshim-Agan Industries (MAI) manufactures generic forms of crop protection chemicals. Its products include herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. Its first proprietray crop protection product was Rimon, which is not toxic for humans. Formed by Koor Industries' 1998 acquisition of two separate public companies, the agrochemicals company has operations worldwide. Through subsidiaries MAI is also involved in food and nutraceuticals, though the agrochemicals account for nearly all of its sales. The company has increased its focus on the North American market; the region now accounts for about a fifth of its total sales. Koor has been selling its shares in the company and has reduced its stake to about 40%.

METabolic EXplorer has the answer. As producer of alternative industrial chemicals, METabolic offers about a dozen bio-based chemicals to industrial companies that traditionally use petrochemicals to manufacture products. The company's chemical production involves fermentation, a process that uses bacteria to turn plant materials into chemicals. Its products simulate petrochemicals traditionally derived from crude oil and other fossil fuels. A global distributor, METabolic's customers include companies that make paints, polyester fibers, plastics, animal feed, antifreeze, and other products.

Mexican conglomerate Alfa is a big player in four different industry segments. Alpek, a global petrochemical concern with an emphasis on synthetic fibers (Akra Polyester, DAK Americas, Nyltek, Indelpro, PTAL, Temex) accounts for about 40% of sales. Alfa's other operations consist primarily of refrigerated-foods manufacturer and distributor Sigma Alimentos (Yoplait yogurt, Oscar Mayer), aluminum auto part maker Nemak (engine heads and blocks), and telecom company Alestra. Alfa has alliances with more than 20 companies (such as AT&T, Ford, and Kraft) around the world. It operates more than 75 production facilities throughout the Americas, Asia, and Europe, though Mexico provides almost half of its sales.

Royal DSM N.V. creates innovative products and services in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences that contribute to the quality of life. DSM’s products and services are used globally in a wide range of markets and applications, supporting a healthier, more sustainable and more enjoyable way of life. End markets include human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, coatings and paint, electrical and electronics, life protection and housing. DSM has annual net sales of EUR 9.3 billion and employs some 23,500 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations on five continents. DSM is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.

ICO, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures specialty resins and concentrates, and provides specialized polymer processing services. The company offers specialty resins in powder form that are used to manufacture household items, such as toys, household furniture, and trash receptacles; automobile parts; agricultural products, such as fertilizer and water tanks; paints; and metal and fabric coatings. Its concentrate products are primarily used as additives that are blended with resins and then used to produce plastic films. The company also provides toll processing services, including ambient grinding, jet milling, compounding, and ancillary services for resins produced in pellet form and other material. It provides its products and services through 20 operating facilities located in 9 countries primarily in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company also exports its products to Africa and Asia. Its customers include chemical companies, polymer production affiliates of oil exploration and production companies, and manufacturers of plastic products. ICO, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Diversified Chemical Technologies is a manufacturer of specialty chemical products for the automotive, consumer packaging, electronics, steel, and transportation industries. The company operates through subsidiaries Adhesive Systems (hot melt, pressure sensitive, and water based adhesives), Coat-It (polymer chemicals), and Diversified Chemical Technologies (industrial cleaners). Its Paperworks unit distributes paper and other office supply products. Diversified Chemical Technologies has marketing partnerships with Xerox (paper products) and Procter & Gamble (cleaning products). It has facilities in the US and South Korea and distribution subsidiaries in Europe and South America.

Ranbar Technology makes more than a hundred coating resins for customers across the US, as well as in Canada and the UK. Its product line includes environmentally friendly water-reducible resins for architectural and industrial applications. Coatings are also available as coreplate, galvanized, solvent-based, and UV cure. The company also provides laboratory analysis on an ongoing or project basis. Its lab equipment and capabilities include scanning electron microscope, water analyzers, computerized color matching, and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Chairman and CEO Randy Russell formed Ranbar in 1984.

Custom Building Products (CBP) likes to hold things together. The producer of tile-setting grout and adhesives makes such products as epoxies, cement, household and industrial glues, sealants, acrylic resins, clay mortars, putties, and latex, as well as gypsum products and concrete repair products. The company also offers installation tools, cleaning and maintenance equipment, and a library of how-to-do-it and other resource materials. The company manufactures and distributes its wares from about a dozen locations in North America. Its customers include architects, contractors, dealers, distributors, and do-it-yourselfers. CBP was founded in 1964 by Thomas Peck and Mike Bilek.

Innophos Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, produces specialty phosphates primarily in the North America. Its products include specialty salts, which are used in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical applications; specialty acids that are used in industrial applications, such as asphalt modification and petrochemical catalysis; technical grade sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), which is used in detergent applications, including automatic dishwashing, commercial/industrial detergents, and home laundry detergents; and other products, such as phosphate fertilizers that are used as co-products of manufacturing purified phosphoric acid. Innophos Holdings also offers purified phosphoric acid (PPA) that is used as an input to specialty salts, specialty acids, and STPP, as well as in water and metal treatment applications. The company’s customers include consumer goods manufacturers, distributors, and specialty chemical manufacturers in food, bakery, beverage, pharmaceutical, and cleaning product markets. Innophos Holdings was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Cranbury, New Jersey.

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