Firmenich International S.A. - Introduction

Introduction

Route de La Plaine 45
CH-1283 La Plaine, Geneva
Switzerland
Telephone: (+41) 22-780-22-11
Fax: (+41) 22-754-14-73
Web site: http://www.firmenich.com

Private Company
Incorporated: 1895
Employees: 4,500
Sales: CHF 1.9 billion ($1.28 billion) (2002)
NAIC: 325188 All Other Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing; 311930 Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing; 325620 Toilet Preparation Manufacturing

Family-owned Firmenich International S.A. is the world's largest privately held manufacturer of fragrances and flavorings for the perfume, food, cosmetics, cleaning products, and related industries. In terms of the total market, Firmenich claims third place, behind the American company International Flavors and Fragrances and fellow Swiss company Givaudan (formerly part of Roche). Firmenich develops and supplies more than 45,000 different fragrances, aromas, and speciality chemicals components, including a list of some 800 patented chemicals. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Firmenich operates sales and manufacturing sites in 50 countries worldwide, including major sites in New York City and New Jersey, as well as locations in Europe, South America, and Asia. India and China also represent two important production sectors. Firmenich's client list includes the world's largest food, beauty, household care, and fabrics companies, although its behind-the-scenes work for the world's leading perfume names remains a major part of the group's activity. Indeed, the company has created a number of the most prominent contemporary perfumes, including CK One and Jean-Paul Gaulthier. In 2003, Firmenich was hired by retailing giant Walgreens to create its C'est Moi perfume. Research and development has played a key role in Firmenich's steady success—an early R&D director, Leopold Ruzicka, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1939—and the company continues to spend approximately 10 percent of its revenues on R&D operations. These efforts have helped the company more than triple its sales since the early 1990s. By 2003, the group posted about CHF 2 billion ($1.3 billion) in sales. The company is led by Partick Firmenich, who took over as CEO in 2002.