Kemira Oyj - Introduction

Introduction

Porkkalankatu 3
PO Box 330
Helsinki
FIN-00101
Finland
Telephone: 108611
Fax: 108621119

Public Company
Incorporated: 1920 as Valtion Rikkihappo-ja Superfosfaattitehtaat Oy
Employees: 10,537
Sales: EUR 1.69 billion ($2.1 billion) (2004)
Stock Exchanges: Helsinki
Ticker Symbol: KRA
NAIC: 325131 Inorganic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing; 325188 All Other Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing; 325131 Inorganic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing; 325510 Paint and Coating Manufacturing

Finland's Kemira Oyj is a leading industrial chemicals manufacturer focused on four primary areas: Paints and Coatings; Pulp and Paper Chemicals; Industrial Chemicals; and coagulants and other chemicals for water treatment processes. Pulp and Paper Chemicals represents the group's largest division, generating 33 percent of the group's revenues of EUR 1.69 billion ($2.1 billion) in 2004. This division produces chemicals for bleaching, coating, and processing pulp and paper, as well as pigments and inks used in printing. Kemira's next largest division is its Paints and Coatings division, the Nordic region's largest producer of paints and related products, and one of the top paint manufacturers in Europe. The company's main brands, including Tikkurila, Alcro, and Beckers, combine to generate 25 percent of Kemira's total sales. Under Industrial Chemicals, which adds 19 percent to group revenues, Kemira includes titanium dioxide, formic acid and derivatives, and bleaching agents for detergents. Kemwater is the company's division dedicated to the production of coagulants and other chemicals for water treatment, and generates 17 percent of total sales. In 2004, Kemira spun off its then-largest division, Kemira GrowHow, as an independent, publicly listed company. GrowHow was the holding company for Kemira's agro-chemicals division. The company intends to develop its remaining subsidiaries into world leaders in their categories, through both organic growth and an ongoing acquisition program. In February 2005, for example, the company acquired Finnish Chemicals Oy, a producer of chemicals for pulp and paper, water treatment, and other industries; and Verdugt, based in The Netherlands, and the world's top producer of organic salts. Kemira, formerly controlled by the Finnish government, is listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.