Clariant

Clariant AG is a Swiss multinational specialty-chemicals company headquartered officially in Muttenz, with major corporate functions located in nearby Pratteln in the Basel region. The company was established in 1995 through the separation of Sandoz’s chemical activities. Its formation took place as Sandoz combined its pharmaceutical business with Ciba-Geigy’s pharmaceutical operations to create Novartis, while the chemical activities were developed independently under the Clariant name. Clariant grew rapidly through acquisitions. In 1997 it purchased the specialty-chemicals activities of Hoechst, substantially expanding its portfolio and geographic presence. Further transactions included British Tar Products in 2000, Ciba’s Masterbatches division in 2006 and German specialty-chemicals producer Süd-Chemie in 2011. These deals broadened the company’s capabilities in catalysts, functional minerals, additives, colorants and industrial formulations. Over time, Clariant also reshaped its portfolio through disposals, selling businesses such as textile chemicals, emulsions, paper specialties, leather services, detergents and intermediates, healthcare packaging, Masterbatches and pigments. The company’s present portfolio is organized around three global business units: Care Chemicals; Adsorbents & Additives; and Catalysts. Care Chemicals serves personal and home care, crop solutions, industrial applications, base chemicals, oil services and mining solutions. Adsorbents & Additives includes purification, foundry and specialty materials, cargo and device protection, as well as additives for coatings, adhesives, plastics, e-mobility and electronics. Catalysts supplies technologies and materials for propylene, ethylene, syngas, fuels, biofuels and other chemical processes. Clariant’s products are generally business-to-business inputs rather than consumer products sold under a single mass-market identity. Its specialty ingredients can appear in personal-care formulations, detergents, crop-protection products, industrial fluids and mining processes. Its catalysts and adsorbents support chemical manufacturing, purification, fuel processing, packaging protection and other industrial operations. The company has also developed natural ingredients, renewable-raw-material solutions and additives intended to improve recyclability, resource efficiency and product performance. Clariant has pursued a sustainability-led positioning under the purpose “Greater chemistry – between people and planet.” Its sustainability activities include portfolio screening, raw-material assessments, climate-related reporting and participation in industry initiatives such as Together for Sustainability, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and the Renewable Carbon Initiative. The company has also worked with partners on circular packaging and renewable ethylene-oxide derivatives. Clariant operates through subsidiaries and manufacturing or commercial activities across Europe, North America, South America, China, India and other markets. According to the cited company reference, it encompassed 68 subsidiaries in 36 countries in 2023. For 2025, the cited reference reports CHF 3.915 billion in sales from continuing operations and CHF 643 million in EBITDA; these figures are included with their stated time context and source. Conrad Keijzer has served as chief executive officer since 1 January 2021.

Clariant originated in the restructuring of the Swiss chemical industry during the creation of Novartis. In 1995, Sandoz spun off its chemical operations as a separately listed specialty-chemicals company. The new enterprise inherited industrial chemistry capabilities but was not intended to operate as a pharmaceutical business. Its early development centered on building scale in specialty chemicals, where technical formulation, customer relationships and application knowledge are important competitive advantages. A major turning point came in 1997, when Clariant acquired Hoechst’s specialty-chemicals business. The transaction significantly enlarged the company and gave it a broader international platform. Clariant subsequently continued expanding through selected acquisitions. British Tar Products was purchased in 2000, while Ciba’s Masterbatches division was acquired in 2006. In 2011, Clariant bought Süd-Chemie, a German specialty-chemicals company known particularly for catalysts, adsorbents and related technologies. The company later began a substantial portfolio transformation. In 2013 it sold textile chemicals, emulsions and paper specialties to SK Capital. In 2014 it divested leather services to Stahl Holdings and detergents and intermediates to Weylchem, part of International Chemical Investors Group. These disposals reflected a move away from some activities where Clariant believed it had less strategic advantage and toward higher-value specialty applications. In 2016, Clariant entered collaborations with matchmycolor and Konica Minolta to improve color matching for polyolefin products. It also acquired U.S. businesses Kel-Tech and X-Chem. The following year, Clariant and Huntsman announced a proposed merger of equals valued in the announcement at approximately US$20 billion. The plan encountered opposition from White Tale Holdings and faced uncertainty over the two-thirds shareholder approval threshold required by Swiss law. The transaction was abandoned in October 2017. In 2018, after White Tale sold a substantial portion of its position to SABIC, Clariant and SABIC established a memorandum and governance agreement. Clariant continued to simplify its portfolio. It sold Healthcare Packaging to Arsenal Capital Partners in 2019, completed the sale of Masterbatches to PolyOne in 2020, and sold its Pigments business in 2022 to a consortium involving Heubach Group and SK Capital Partners. Clariant retained a minority interest in the company created through the pigments transaction. In 2021, it formed a 51-to-49 joint venture with India Glycols for renewable ethylene-oxide derivatives and acquired the remaining interest in Beraca, a Brazilian producer of natural personal-care ingredients in which it had previously held a minority stake. Also in 2021, Conrad Keijzer became chief executive officer and Clariant introduced a purpose-led strategy built around “Greater chemistry – between people and planet.” In 2022, the company reorganized from five business units into three: Care Chemicals, Adsorbents & Additives, and Catalysts. This structure combined related activities and was intended to simplify management and sharpen accountability. Clariant experienced a governance and reporting crisis in early 2022 when it postponed its annual report and shareholder meeting while examining whistleblower allegations of accounting manipulation. The independent investigation announced later that year stated that the reported 2020 and 2021 sales, cash and cash-equivalent figures were unaffected. The episode nevertheless became an important part of the company’s recent corporate history. The company expanded its specialty portfolio again in 2022 by acquiring BASF’s U.S. attapulgite assets and in 2024 by acquiring Lucas Meyer Cosmetics from International Flavors & Fragrances. These moves reinforced Clariant’s capabilities in adsorbents and cosmetic ingredients. In the cited 2023 reference, Clariant had 68 subsidiaries across 36 countries, with manufacturing sites in Europe, North America, South America, China and India. Its current business model combines specialty ingredients, additives, adsorbents and catalysts, with sustainability and renewable-carbon chemistry positioned as central themes.

1. 2024Lucas Meyer Cosmetics acquisition

   Clariant acquired Lucas Meyer Cosmetics from International Flavors & Fragrances.

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2. 2022Three-business-unit reorganization

   Clariant reorganized into Care Chemicals, Adsorbents & Additives, and Catalysts.

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3. 2021New chief executive and purpose-led strategy

   Conrad Keijzer became CEO, and Clariant announced a strategy centered on its purpose of creating chemistry between people and planet.

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4. 2017Proposed Huntsman merger

   Clariant and Huntsman announced a proposed merger that was later terminated.

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5. 2011Süd-Chemie acquisition

   Clariant acquired German specialty-chemicals company Süd-Chemie, strengthening catalysts and adsorbents.

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6. 2006Ciba Masterbatches acquisition

   Clariant purchased Ciba’s Masterbatches division.

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7. 2000British Tar Products acquisition

   Clariant acquired British Tar Products.

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8. 1997Acquisition of Hoechst specialty chemicals

   Clariant acquired Hoechst’s specialty-chemicals business, materially expanding its scale and portfolio.

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9. 1995Clariant is established as a Sandoz chemical spin-off

   Sandoz separated its chemical activities into the newly formed Clariant specialty-chemicals company.

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A global specialty-chemicals innovator focused on application-specific performance, sustainability, resource efficiency and chemistry derived from renewable or circular inputs.

• Care ChemicalsSpecialty ingredients and formulations

  Care Chemicals covers ingredients and solutions for personal care, home care, crop solutions, industrial applications, base chemicals, oil services and mining. The portfolio includes surfactants, emulsifiers, formulation aids, natural ingredients and other functional materials used to improve stability, texture, cleaning, processing or application performance.

• CatalystsIndustrial catalysts

  Clariant’s catalyst portfolio supports chemical and fuel production, including propylene, ethylene, syngas, fuels, biofuels and related process technologies. These products are sold primarily to industrial customers seeking selective conversion, improved yield, lower energy use and more efficient production processes.

• Adsorbents & AdditivesFunctional minerals, adsorbents and additives

  This business unit combines purification and adsorbent materials with additives for coatings, adhesives, plastics, e-mobility and electronics. It also includes foundry and specialty materials, cargo protection and device-protection applications. The products help control impurities, protect goods, improve durability and modify the processing or performance of formulated materials.

• Natural personal-care ingredientsCosmetic ingredients2015

  Through Beraca and the later Lucas Meyer Cosmetics acquisition, Clariant supplies natural ingredients and specialty materials for cosmetic and personal-care formulations. These ingredients are intended for functions such as skin care, hair care, sensory improvement and formulation support.

• Pigments and MasterbatchesDivested specialty materials

  Pigments and Masterbatches were historically important Clariant businesses serving plastics, coatings and color applications. Clariant sold Masterbatches to PolyOne in 2020 and its Pigments business to a Heubach and SK Capital consortium in 2022, retaining a minority interest in the resulting pigments holding company.

• 2022Design4Circularity personal-care packaging collaboration

  Global industry collaboration

  Clariant participated with Siegwerk, Borealis and Beiersdorf in a personal-care packaging concept intended to demonstrate design approaches compatible with circularity.

  Outcome. The concept received a Sustainable Packaging Award.

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• 2021Greater chemistry – between people and planet

  Global

  Clariant introduced a purpose-led corporate strategy linking business growth with sustainability, innovation and relationships among people, industry and the natural environment.

  Outcome. Became the organizing theme for new financial and non-financial targets.

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• 2025Continuing-operations financial disclosureOther

  Clariant reported continuing-operations performance across its three-business-unit structure.

  What changed. The cited reference reported CHF 3.915 billion in sales and CHF 643 million in EBITDA for 2025.

  Sales from continuing operations. CHF 3.915 billion (2025)

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• 2024Acquisition of Lucas Meyer CosmeticsM&A

  Clariant sought to expand its position in cosmetic and personal-care ingredients.

  What changed. Clariant acquired Lucas Meyer Cosmetics from International Flavors & Fragrances.

  Aftermath. The acquisition broadened Clariant’s care-chemicals offering in cosmetic ingredients.

  Reported transaction value. US$810 million (April 2024 transaction announcement)

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• 2022Reorganization into three global business unitsStrategy

  Clariant sought to simplify its organization and consolidate related activities.

  What changed. The company combined its activities into Care Chemicals, Adsorbents & Additives, and Catalysts.

  Aftermath. The new structure grouped personal, industrial, agricultural, oilfield and mining activities under Care Chemicals; minerals and additives under Adsorbents & Additives; and catalyst-related activities under Catalysts.

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• 2020Sale of Masterbatches businessM&A

  Clariant continued a portfolio shift toward specialty businesses with stronger strategic fit.

  What changed. The Masterbatches business was sold to PolyOne, which was renamed Avient during the same year.

  Aftermath. Clariant exited the Masterbatches business.

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• 2017Proposed merger with HuntsmanM&A

  Clariant sought greater scale in specialty chemicals through a proposed all-stock merger with Huntsman Corporation.

  What changed. The companies announced a combination in which Clariant shareholders were expected to own 52 percent of the enlarged entity.

  Aftermath. The transaction was terminated in October 2017 after opposition from White Tale Holdings and concerns that the required Swiss shareholder approval would not be achieved.

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• 2022Whistleblower allegations and accounting investigationControversy

  Clariant postponed its 2021 annual report and annual general meeting while investigating allegations that employees had manipulated accounts to meet financial objectives. The company later said an investigation by independent advisers and external counsel found no impact on the sales, cash or cash-equivalent figures reported for 2020 and 2021.

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• 2024Clariant acquires Lucas Meyer Cosmetics

  Clariant acquired Lucas Meyer Cosmetics from International Flavors & Fragrances, strengthening its portfolio of cosmetic ingredients.

  M&AProduct generation
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• 2022Clariant acquires BASF attapulgite assets in the United States

  Clariant acquired BASF’s U.S. attapulgite business assets in a cash transaction.

  M&A
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• 2018Clariant and SABIC reach governance arrangement

  After White Tale Holdings sold part of its Clariant position to SABIC, Clariant and SABIC entered into a memorandum and governance agreement.

  M&A
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• 2017Clariant and Huntsman announce proposed merger

  Clariant and Huntsman Corporation announced an all-stock merger intended to create a large global specialty-chemicals group, with Clariant shareholders proposed to hold a majority stake.

  M&A
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• 2017Clariant and Huntsman terminate merger plan

  The proposed combination was halted after opposition and uncertainty that the transaction could obtain the shareholder approval required under Swiss law.

  M&A
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1. Clariant
2. Clariant official website