Arkema's Structure and Global Presence

Arkema is a global chemical company with a complex structure. The company operates through three main segments: Coating Solutions, Advanced Materials, and Performance Products.

Arkema has a significant presence in Europe, with its headquarters located in Colombes, France. The company has a long history in the region, dating back to 1807.

Arkema's global presence is further expanded through its subsidiaries and joint ventures. The company has a significant presence in the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East, with production facilities and research centers across these regions.

Arkema's structure allows for a high degree of autonomy at the local level, enabling the company to respond quickly to changing market conditions.

Arkema was formed in October 2004 as a subsidiary of Total, a French-based multinational oil conglomerate. It was structured into three divisions producing vinyl products, industrial chemicals, and performance products.

The company debuted on the Paris stock market on May 18, 2006, and in June 2011, it joined the CAC Next 20 French stock market index.

In July 2012, Arkema sold its vinyl products business segment to the Klesch group and reorganized its activities into three business segments: High Performance Materials, Industrial Specialties, and Coating Solutions. Each of these segments represents about one third of the company's turnover.

The major stockholders of Arkema as of December 31, 2010, were Greenlight Capital (5.5%), Dodge & Cox (5.2%), and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (10%).

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Arkema was formed in October 2004 as a new company under Total's ownership, named after the French word for "chemicals producer".

The company was structured into three divisions producing vinyl products, industrial chemicals, and performance products.

Arkema debuted on the Paris stock market on May 18, 2006, after Total's intention to spin off the company into an independent listed company was achieved.

By 2011, Arkema had joined the CAC Next 20 French stock market index.

In 2007, Arkema sold its agrochemical business to United Phosphorus and its urea-formaldehyde activities to Hexion.

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The company acquired several businesses between 2007 and 2012, including Coatex, acrylic Dow assets, Total coating resins, Hipro Polymers, and Casda Biomaterials.

Arkema sold its vinyl products business segment to the Klesch group in July 2012 for €1 and took on €470 million in debts to help revive the activity.

After the sale, Arkema reorganized its activities into three business segments: High Performance Materials, Industrial Specialties, and Coating Solutions.

In 2015, Arkema purchased Bostik from Total S.A. and joined CJ Group of South Korea to invest in the manufacture of L-methionine in Malaysia.

The company sold its Plexiglas business to Trinseo in 2020 for $1.1 billion and acquired Ashland's Performance Adhesives business in 2021 for $1.65 billion.

Arkema continued to expand its operations, acquiring Permoseal, an adhesive solutions company in South Africa, in 2022.

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Arkema has a significant presence worldwide, with operations in over 40 countries through its commercial subsidiaries.

The company has 144 production facilities globally, with 61 located in Europe, 43 in North America, and 40 in Asia and the rest of the world.

Arkema's research and development efforts are concentrated in 13 centers worldwide, with 7 located in France and 3 in the United States.

Here's a breakdown of Arkema's global presence:

Arkema's business operations are a testament to its commitment to innovation and sustainability. The company has a diverse portfolio of businesses, including Advanced Materials, Coating Solutions, and Performance Additives.

Arkema operates in over 55 countries worldwide, with a strong presence in Europe, North America, and Asia. This global reach enables the company to serve a wide range of customers across various industries.

Arkema's manufacturing facilities are strategically located near its customers to ensure efficient supply chain management. This approach allows the company to reduce transportation costs and minimize its carbon footprint.

The company's focus on research and development has led to the creation of new products and technologies that meet the evolving needs of its customers. Arkema's R&D investments have resulted in the development of innovative materials and solutions.

Arkema's commitment to sustainability is reflected in its efforts to reduce its environmental impact. The company aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and has set targets to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.

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Arkema generates significant revenue, with sales of €7.9 billion in 2020.

The company's financial performance is broken down into four main segments: Advanced Materials, Adhesive Solutions, Coating Solutions, and Intermediates.

Advanced Materials account for 32% of Arkema's sales, making it a substantial contributor to the company's revenue.

Adhesive Solutions and Coating Solutions are also major players, accounting for 25.5% and 24.5% of sales, respectively.

Intermediates bring in 18% of the company's revenue, rounding out the four main segments.

Here's a breakdown of Arkema's sales by segment:

Arkema's net debt in 2020 was €1.9 billion, a significant amount that the company will need to manage in the future.

Arkema has faced regulatory issues in the past. The company's predecessor companies, Atochem and Atofina, were investigated by the EU Commission for their involvement in an illegal supply, sales, and pricing cartel in the hydrogen peroxide and sodium perborate markets.

The Commission found that these infractions occurred between May 1995 and December 2000. Arkema was subsequently fined €78 million in May 2006 for breaching EU antitrust law.

At Arkema, research and development is a top priority, with a significant investment of 150 million euros dedicated to this area. This substantial allocation of resources is a testament to the company's commitment to innovation and growth.

The researchers at Arkema, who number over 1,200, are focused on two key areas: ultra-high performance polymers and sustainable development solutions. This expertise allows them to develop cutting-edge materials and processes.

Arkema's R&D efforts are guided by four key themes: lightweight and designed materials, circular economy, bio-based or bio-synthesized materials, and more efficient and virtuous processes. These themes are designed to address the major global trends of today and tomorrow.

Here are the four key themes that shape Arkema's R&D efforts:

By focusing on these areas, Arkema is well-positioned to drive innovation and growth in the years to come.

As of 2010, the major stockholders of Arkema owned at least 5% of its capital. These shareholders included Greenlight Capital, Dodge & Cox, and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, which held 5.5%, 5.2%, and 10% of the capital, respectively.

In 2012, FMR LLC, also known as Fidelity Management & Research, declared that it owned more than 5% of Arkema's capital. Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, on the other hand, sold all its shares in the capital in March 2012.

Individual shareholders made up a significant portion of Arkema's ownership, holding 94% of the capital. Group employees also held a stake, with 5.5% of the capital owned by them.

Arkema has a diverse range of subsidiaries that contribute to its global reach and expertise in the specialty chemicals industry.

One of its notable subsidiaries is Ashland, a leading player in special adhesives in the United States.

Bostik is another significant subsidiary, specializing in bonding solutions.

Coatex produces rheological additives for water-based formulations, with production sites in France, the Netherlands, the United States, South Korea, China, and Brazil.

Some of the key brands under Coatex include Rheocoat, Coadis, Rheocarb, Ecodis, Viscoatex, and Coapur.

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MLPC International focuses on sulfur carbon chemistry, cyanogen chloride, and amines, producing auxiliaries for the rubber industry.

Sartomer is a leading producer of special acrylics for UV curing systems, which enhances the performance of coatings, inks, adhesives, composites, optical fibers, rubber, and other demanding applications.

Den Braven is a leading European manufacturer of high-performance sealants for insulation and construction.

Casda is a global leader in ricin oil-derived sebacic acid.

As of 31 December 2010, the major stockholders of Arkema were Greenlight Capital (5.5%), Dodge & Cox (5.2%), and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (10%).

The individual shareholders held a significant majority of the company, with 94.0% of the capital declared to AMF.

FMR LLC, also known as Fidelity Management & Research, declared having more than 5% of Arkema's capital in 2012.

Group employees also held a small stake in the company, with 5.5% of the capital.

Here's a breakdown of the major stockholders as of 2010:

Arkema's products and solutions are incredibly diverse, catering to various industries and applications.

The company's industrial facilities solutions include products that fight corrosion, such as Kynar polyvinylidene fluorides used in chemical engineering to manufacture reactors, pipes, and valves that are highly resistant to corrosive products.

For degreasing, Oleris Esterol is used as a bio-based cleaning agent. To mitigate coke formation, Dimethyl Disulfide (DMDS) is used in steamcracker feedstock to prevent coke deposition on the internal surface of cracking coils.

Arkema's advanced materials segment includes specialty polyamides, fluoropolymers (PVDF), molecular sieves for filtration and adsorption, and organic peroxides. Bostik specializes in bonding solutions.

The company's value-added synthetic additives are used in various processes in the chemical industry, including solvents, diluents, thickeners, reagents, and reaction initiators.

Arkema's high performance polymers can provide longer durability and increase the service life of chemical processing equipment. The company's resins can comply with the highest industry standards in applications such as conveyor belts, biopharmaceutical industry, polymer processing aids, or pipes, vessels, and fittings.

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Here are some of Arkema's key product lines and their applications: