Brenntag SE purchases and supplies various industrial and specialty chemicals, and ingredients in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates through the divisions Brenntag Essentials and Brenntag Specialties. It provides value-added services, such as just-in-time delivery, product mixing, blending, repackaging, inventory management, and drum return handling, as well as technical and laboratory services for specialty chemicals. The company serves customers in various end-market industries, including nutrition, pharma, personal care, water treatment, and lubricants; and home, industrial, and institutional markets, as well as coatings and constructions, polymers, and rubber industries. Brenntag SE was founded in 1874 and is based in Essen, Germany.
In 1874 Philipp Mühsam founded an egg wholesale business in Berlin which would later become Brenntag. In 1912 Brenntag entered the chemical distribution business.
From the first expansion beyond Germany in 1966 through its entry into the U.S. market in the early 1970s and accelerated growth worldwide throughout the past two decades, much of the growth of Brenntag has been enabled by selective acquisitions in key growth areas around the world.
In the 1980s, the company continued to expand in the USA through acquisitions of several distribution companies. In the following decade Brenntag expanded within Europe through acquisitions and joint ventures. By acquiring Holland Chemical International, then the fifth largest chemical distributor worldwide, in 2000 Brenntag gained market shares in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the USA and became a market leader in Latin America. In the following ten years the company acquired companies worldwide and therewith expanded its network and market shares. At the same time new chemical distribution centers were built at strategic locations.
The most recent milestone acquisition was the purchase in late 2008 of the distribution business of Rhodia, giving Brenntag the first distribution presence in the Asia Pacific region. In 2010 and 2011 Brenntag further expanded its market presence in the region significantly by acquiring EAC Industrial Ingredients Ltd. A/S and Zhong Yung Chemical Ltd.
Since 29 March 2010, Brenntag AG is listed at the German Stock Exchange in the Prime Standard Segment, since 21 June 2010 as a member of the MDAX index. Since September 20 2021, Brenntag is a member of the DAX index.In 2019 a number of criminal charges were raised against the company for export chemical components to Syria that were subject to export controls due to Syria's usage of chemical weapons.
When we think of our business, we need to ask ourselves two questions: How can we help our business partners to succeed – today and in the future? What is the benefit of our partners working with us? Our tagline “ConnectingChemistry” is the ultimate answer to both of these questions. Brenntag strives to be the industry’s most effective and preferred channel partner. Our industry and customer-focused approach to chemical distribution builds on connecting customers and suppliers in a winning partnership. Always being committed to our partners’ success, we serve as their extension, sharing our intelligence on markets, industries and applications. We support them in reacting flexibly to ever-changing market conditions and help them focus on their core business by managing their complexity. We are the only chemical distributor which complements a broad global network with outstanding local execution. Brenntag is there for its partners – anytime, anywhere.
Our vision illustrates how we continue to position ourselves
in the markets and industries, we serve and is summarized by
the following five commitments to our current and future
development:
First, we are the safest chemical distributor striving for zero accidents and incidents. Secondly, throughout the world, we connect our customers and suppliers by providing the most effective industry channel. Third, we are the global market leader in all our chosen markets and industries, offering the most professional sales & marketing organization in the industry, ensuring consistently high standards every day, everywhere. Fourth, we strive to provide a working environment where the best people want to work. Last but not least, we generate sustainable and high returns for our shareholders and other stakeholders.
