Rhodia (company)

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Rhodia
Type Public (Euronext: RHA)
Founded 1998
Headquarters La Défense, France
Key people Jean-Pierre Clamadieu (Chairman and CEO)
Revenue €5.081 billion (2007)[1]
Operating income €448 million (2007)[1]
Profit €131 million (2007)[1]
Employees 15,530 (2007)[1]
Website www.rhodia.com

Rhodia is an international chemical company based in La Défense, France, a suburb of Paris. It is a leader in several specialty chemical markets. Its shares trade on the Euronext stock exchange and it has ADRs on the Pink Sheets. Rhodia was originally the chemicals division of Rhône-Poulenc until it was spun off into a separate company in 1998.

Rhodia develops specialty chemicals and new technologies for clients in the automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, consumer care and tires.

Contents

[edit] Businesses

The organization is comprised of six enterprises: Rhodia Polyamide [2], Rhodia Acetow [3], Rhodia Novecare [4], Rhodia Silcea [5], Rhodia Eco Services [6], Rhodia Energy Services.

[edit] Rhodia Polyamide

The second largest producer in the world of polyamide 6.6, Rhodia Polyamide is prioritizing the development of its positions in intermediates, upstream of a fully integrated polyamide chain (adipic acid, ADN, HMD, phenol, nylon salt, polymers) and in engineering plastics.[7]

Brands: Technyl, Technyl Star, Technyl Force, Technyl Alloy, Technyl XCell, Stabamid, Dioro, Amni.

  • #2 in the world in polyamide 6.6 markets.
  • #3 in the world for polyamide-based engineering plastics.

[edit] Rhodia Acetow[8]

Rhodia Acetow ranks among the three leaders in the market for cellulose acetate fiber, for which the main application is the manufacture of cigarette filters, with a market share of approximately 18 percent.[citation needed]

Leading Brands: Rhodia Filter Tow.

  • #3 in the world for cellulose acetate fiber.

[edit] Rhodia Novecare[9]

The company produces mild amphoteric surfactants, phosphorus and guars and derivatives.

Brands: Amgard, Antarox, Geropon, Jaguar, Miracare, Miranol, Mirapol, Proban, Securest, Tolcide.

  • #1 in mild amphoteric surfactants
  • #1 in phosphorus chemistry
  • #1 in guars and derivatives
  • #1 in lubricants for steel wire drawing for tires

[edit] Rhodia Silcea[10]

Silcea is organized around two growing activities: high performance silicas (Silica Systems) and rare earths (Electronics & Catalysis).

Brands: Actalys, Eolys , Optalys, Cerox, Luminostar, Superamic, Opaline, Zeosil, Zeosil HRS, Zeosil HDRS, Tixosil, Siloa, ZS, Tixolex.

  • #1 in high-performance silicas for the tire, elastomer and nutrition industries.
  • #1 in rare earth-based products for control of transport polluting emissions, low-energy light bulbs, and plasma and LCD displays.
  • #1 in diphenols, vanillin and other derivatives, and acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).


[edit] Rhodia Eco Services[11]

Rhodia Eco Services is the world leader in sulfuric acid regeneration technology, primarily focused on the North American refining ndustry, where it is used in very large quantities.

[edit] Rhodia Energy Services

Rhodia Energy Services is in charge of energy supply management and production for Rhodia as well as on behalf of third parties, representing approximately 820 million euros of purchases worldwide.[citation needed] In addition, Rhodia Energy Services is responsible for managing the projects initiated by the Group for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, and in particular the projects developed at the Onsan (South Korea) and Paulinia (Brazil) sites as part of the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol.

[edit] L'affaire Rhodia

In 1999 and 2000 Rhodia acquired Albright and Wilson, a British chemical company and ChiRex, an American specialty pharmaceutical company. However in 2003 Rhodia closed the former Albright and Wilson Phosphates plant based in Whitehaven and sold the remainder of the Surfactant business to the Huntsman Corporation.

In 2003 and 2004, Edouard Stern and Hugues de Lasteyrie filed suit against Rhodia with claims of accounting irregularities. At the time, Thierry Breton was a board member of Rhodia and later, from 2005 to 2007, he was the Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (France). Edouard Stern was murdered on March 1, 2005.

[edit] Share ownership

  • UK institutional investors: 25%
  • French institutional investors: 23%
  • Other foreign institutional investors: 20%
  • Individual shareholders: 11.5%
  • North American institutional investors: 6.5%
  • Employees shareholders: 4%[12]

[edit] References

[edit] External links