| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Genre | Chemical distribution company |
| Founded | Seattle, Washington, United States (1924) |
| Founder(s) | George Van Waters and Nat S. Rogers |
| Headquarters | Redmond, Washington |
| Number of locations | Global |
| Key people | John J. Zillmer, President and Chief Executive Officer |
| Revenue | $7.9 billion (2010)[1] |
| Owner(s) | CVC Capital Partners, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice |
| Employees | 7,000(2010)[1] |
| Website | univar.com |
Univar is a leading global distributor of industrial and specialty chemicals, with an extensive network of over 170 distribution facilities in North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America, as well as additional sales offices in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA. As of 2010, it employed approximately 7,000 employees worldwide and generated net sales of $7.9 billion.[1] Univar serves over 80,000 customers in more than 100 countries and various major industries, including personal care, pharmaceuticals, household and industrial cleaning, paints and coatings, food and energy.
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Univar provides over 11,000 chemical products to customers in a diverse range of industries. It sources chemicals from more than 2,500 producers in large quantities and distributes smaller quantities to more than 80,000 customers worldwide. Its chemical portfolio includes acids and bases, surfactants, glycols, inorganic compounds, alcohols, and general and other specialty chemicals.
Univar provides its suppliers and customers with a high level of service, reliability and timeliness of deliveries, while offering cost-competitive products and several channels to market, including warehouse delivery, direct-to-consumer delivery and ChemPoint, a Univar’s web-based distributor of specialty chemicals.
In addition to its vast product offering, Univar provides services for its customers and suppliers, including product availability and inventory management, product specification and technical expertise, blending and mixing, repackaging and labeling, just-in-time delivery, vendor rationalization programs and specialized laboratories dedicated to specific industries, including food, personal care, paints and coatings, household and industrial cleaning, and energy. Univar also offers its ChemCare® waste management service, which collects and disposes of hazardous and non-hazardous waste products at customer locations.
Univar is committed to being a responsible corporate citizen with a global focus on safety, health, the environment and sustainability. Safety is the company’s first priority and is both the starting point and foundation for all aspects of their global business operations. Safe transport and storage of products, safe operational practices and safe working conditions enable it to protect its employees, customers, suppliers and the environment.
Univar is also committed to reducing its environmental impact and carbon footprint, helping to grow its supplier and customer businesses by providing them with sustainable solutions and ensuring the safe stewardship of products. Univar has a number of ongoing sustainability and waste minimization initiatives, including reducing energy consumption, promoting environmentally-friendly transportation options, encouraging recycling programs, reducing water consumption and sourcing green products and natural ingredients.
On August 8, 1924, George Van Waters and Nat Rogers opened a small firm in Seattle, Washington, USA, buying and selling naval supplies, paint, raw materials and cotton linters. When Van Waters & Rogers entered the laundry supply business, it paved the way for the company’s future in chemicals. Near the end of the 1920s, the company moved into a 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) facility just south of downtown Seattle and, soon after, it expanded into the entire facility and plant next door. In 1936, Van Waters & Rogers’ sales topped $1 million, and by the end of the decade the company was closing on the $2 million mark. Locations were added in Portland, Oregon, Spokane, Washington and Los Angeles, California. A notable addition was the industrial chemicals division headed by Glen McElvain, a chemical salesman who was instrumental in the acquisition of local chemical companies. In the 1940s, sales continued to skyrocket, jumping from $2 million in 1940 to more than $18 million in 1949. Acquisitions led to market entries in San Francisco and Texas and the first two women were appointed to officer positions. In 1949, Van Waters & Rogers celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Acquiring Industrial Materials Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Braun-Knecht-Heimann of San Francisco in 1950 set the tone for that decade. The company strategy was simple: acquire rather than be acquired. In 1956, Van Waters & Rogers made its first public stock offering. By the end of the decade, Van Waters & Rogers had locations in all 11 western states, Texas and Western Canada. Sales climbed from $18 million to more than $80 million in 1959. Capital investments included the forerunners of today's computers, and data processing equipment was installed in computer centers in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, increasing operating efficiency and profits.
In the 1960s, company headquarters relocated to San Francisco for a brief period. By mid-decade, shareholders approved the merger of Van Waters & Rogers and United Pacific Corporation. In 1966, Van Waters & Rogers became VWR United and the decade ended with the company's listing on the New York Stock Exchange on March 6, 1969.
At the March 25, 1970 board meeting, co-founder Nat Rogers retired from the company and later that same year, Jim Wiborg became CEO. As leadership changed, so did the company’s name. The name "Univar" was adopted in 1974 and the company continued to expand through acquisitions with the stated goal of becoming a national distributor. The most important acquisition was the purchase of McArthur Chemical, which established Univar as a major distributor throughout Canada.
In the 1980s, Univar became North America's largest chemical distributor and sales topped $1 billion. Responding to new government regulations and environmental concerns, the company focused on product stewardship and introduced ChemCare®, a waste management service. Univar acquired McKesson Chemical with financial backing from Royal Pakhoed and, combined, the two distribution giants formed a coast-to-coast network of more than 100 locations in the United States and Canada.
During the 1990s, Univar embraced the information age and launched a state-of-the-art computer system linking locations, customers and suppliers, a corporate website, e-commerce initiatives and an internet-based chemical distributor named ChemPoint.com®. Acquisitions led to further expansion as Univar acquired four chemical distribution companies in Europe, forming Univar Europe. In 1996, Royal Pakhoed acquired Univar, and it merged with Royal Van Ommeren in 1999 to become Royal Vopak.
As industries such as textiles and electronics moved off shore to lower costs in the beginning of the new millennium, Univar focused on industries that were population-based, such as food, pharmaceuticals, personal care, coatings and energy. Univar hired specialists, scientists and PhDs to assist customers with product formulations and technical solutions. Growth continued through the acquisition of Ellis & Everard®, which included operations in the UK, Ireland and North America. In 2002, Univar split off from Royal Vopak as an independent company and world leader in chemical distribution. In 2007, Univar purchased a leading competitor, CHEMCENTRAL® and became a privately held company, owned primarily by funds managed or advised by London-based CVC Capital Partners.[2] Univar ended the decade with $7.2 billion in net sales from the distribution of approximately 5.4 million metric tons of chemicals in 2009.[1]
In 2010, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC acquired a 42.5% ownership interest in Univar and the company continued to grow. It acquired US-based Basic Chemical Solutions®, a global distributor and trader of commodity chemicals, and the Quaron distribution business in Belgium and the Netherlands, in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
John J. Zillmer, President and Chief Executive Officer
Mark J. Byrne, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
Randy D. Craddock, President of Univar Canada Ltd.
Russell W. Day, Vice President, Corporate Development
Edward A. Evans, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Terry Hill, Executive Vice President, Industry Relations; President, Emerging Markets
David Jukes, President of Univar Europe
Steven M. Nielsen, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
David M. Strizzi, President of Univar USA Inc.
Amy E. Weaver, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary