Laporte plc

Laporte plc
Industry Chemicals
Fate Acquired
Successor Degussa AG
Founded 1888
Defunct 2000
Headquarters Luton, UK
Key people
Jim Leng (CEO)

Laporte plc was a leading British chemicals business that operated from 1888 to 2000. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

History

The Company was founded by Bernard Laporte, a German Chemist, in 1888 as a supplier of peroxide to bleach straw boating hats.[1] It subsequently diversified into other aspects of bleaching and commercial laundry chemicals.[1]

In the 1980s it disposed of its manufacturing operations.[2]

In 1993 it acquired Evode Group plc, suppliers of adhesives and specialties.[3] It went on to buy Aztec Peroxides Inc., a US peroxides business, in 1994[4] and Inspec Group plc, suppliers of specialty chemicals, in 1998.[5]

It sold its major divisions, some 55% of the business by revenue, to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 2000. These divisions (Pigments and Additives, Formulated Products & Compounds and Computers & Electronics) subsequently became known as Rockwood Holdings Inc.[6]

In December 2000 Degussa SKW, a joint venture between Degussa AG and SKW Trostberg, acquired the remainder of the business.[7] The performance chemicals business was subsequently sold on by Degussa to Cognis.[8]

Operations

The Company had the following divisions:[9]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Degussa-Huels buys Laporte outright The Scotsman, 16 December 2000
  2. Laporte travels the long hard road from commodities to specialties Chemical Week, August 1993
  3. Laporte to the rescue Chemistry & Industry, 18 January 1993
  4. Laporte buys Aztec from Phillips, sells powder coatings Chemical Week, 5 January 1994
  5. Laporte plans to buy Inspec for $1bn Wall Street Journal, 1998
  6. Rockwood launched Chemical Market Reporter, December 2000
  7. Degussa to buy Laporte for £1.4bn Independent, 15 December 2000
  8. Cognis buys Laporte Performance Chems Chemical Market Reporter, February 2003
  9. Laporte PLC Sells AlphaGary, Southern Clay Plastics Technology, 1 November 2000