Nouryon

Nouryon is a global specialty chemicals company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Formerly the specialty chemicals business of AkzoNobel, it became independent in 2018. Nouryon's portfolio includes chemicals for cleaning, agriculture, coatings, construction, and more, with a focus on sustainability.

Nouryon’s immediate history begins with AkzoNobel’s strategic decision to separate its Specialty Chemicals business from the rest of the group. AkzoNobel had historically combined coatings, paints and chemicals activities, but its corporate strategy increasingly emphasized paints and coatings. In 2017, the company agreed to sell the Specialty Chemicals business to an investor consortium led by The Carlyle Group, with GIC participating as a co-investor. The transaction valued the business at approximately €10.1 billion, according to the announcement made at the time, and was completed in 2018. Following completion, the business operated as an independent specialty chemicals company. It initially used the AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals name while the new ownership and corporate structure were established. In October 2018, the company announced the Nouryon name and began presenting itself as a standalone global supplier. The rebranding separated the business from AkzoNobel’s remaining coatings operations and gave the company a dedicated identity for customers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders. The inherited portfolio covered a wide range of specialty chemicals and process technologies. These included organic peroxides used in polymer production and curing, cellulose ethers used in construction and other formulations, chelating agents used in cleaning and industrial processes, surfactants, bleaching chemicals, specialty polymers and other performance materials. The products serve customers in sectors including construction, paints and coatings, personal care, cleaning, agriculture, pulp and paper, food, pharmaceuticals, plastics and energy-related applications. As a standalone company, Nouryon retained an international manufacturing and research footprint and continued to compete through application expertise, product consistency, process knowledge and customer relationships. Its products are often formulated into or used to manufacture other products, meaning that the company generally operates behind the consumer brand rather than appearing as the principal brand on a retail package. Nouryon has positioned sustainability as a strategic theme in its independent-company identity. Its public materials connect the portfolio with applications such as efficient construction materials, water treatment, renewable energy, resource-efficient manufacturing and improved formulation performance. The company also identifies responsible operations, process safety, emissions management and product stewardship as important elements of its role as a global chemicals producer. The company remains privately owned by The Carlyle Group and GIC. Its ownership and legal structure distinguish it from AkzoNobel, even though a substantial part of Nouryon’s business and technical heritage originated within AkzoNobel. Nouryon’s current identity is therefore the result of both a corporate carve-out and a large-scale rebranding: it is an independent specialty chemicals company with global operations and a portfolio of essential industrial inputs.

1. 2018Standalone company established

   The transaction was completed and the former AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals business began operating as an independent company.

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2. 2018Nouryon name introduced

   The company adopted the Nouryon name as part of its transition to an independent global specialty chemicals brand.

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3. 2017Agreement to sell AkzoNobel’s Specialty Chemicals business

   AkzoNobel agreed to sell its Specialty Chemicals business to an investor consortium led by The Carlyle Group, with GIC participating as co-investor.

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Global specialty chemicals partner focused on essential performance ingredients, intermediates, process technologies and sustainability-oriented solutions.

• BermocollCellulose ethers

  Bermocoll is a family of cellulose ether products used primarily as rheology modifiers, binders and water-retention agents. Applications include construction materials, paints and coatings and other formulated products where viscosity, workability and stability must be controlled.

• DissolvineChelating agents

  Dissolvine is Nouryon’s chelating-agent portfolio. These ingredients bind metal ions and are used in cleaning products, water treatment, agriculture, personal care, food-related processing and industrial formulations to improve stability and performance.

• Trigonox and PerkadoxOrganic peroxides

  Trigonox and Perkadox products are organic peroxide initiators and curing agents used in polymer manufacturing, plastics processing, composites and related industrial applications. They help initiate polymerization or cross-linking under specified processing conditions.

• LevasilColloidal silica

  Levasil is a colloidal silica portfolio used in applications requiring controlled surface, binding, reinforcement or polishing properties. Its uses span industrial formulations and process applications, with product selection depending on particle characteristics and processing requirements.

• Berol and ArmotanSurfactants and formulation ingredients

  Berol and Armotan represent specialty surfactant and formulation ingredients used in cleaning, industrial, agricultural and other formulated products. They support functions such as wetting, emulsification, dispersion and formulation stability.

• 2018Rebranding as NouryonStrategy

  The newly independent specialty chemicals company needed a distinct identity separate from AkzoNobel’s continuing coatings business.

  What changed. The company introduced Nouryon as its corporate name and global brand.

  Aftermath. Nouryon became the public identity for the international specialty chemicals portfolio and operations.

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• 2017Sale of the Specialty Chemicals businessM&A

  AkzoNobel sought to sharpen its strategic focus on paints and coatings by separating its Specialty Chemicals activities.

  What changed. AkzoNobel agreed to sell the business to an investor consortium led by The Carlyle Group, with GIC as a co-investor.

  Aftermath. The transaction closed in 2018 and created the independent company that subsequently adopted the Nouryon name.

  Reported transaction enterprise value. Approximately €10.1 billion transaction value (2017 announcement)

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• 2018AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals becomes Nouryon

  The standalone specialty chemicals company created through AkzoNobel’s separation and sale of its specialty chemicals activities adopted the Nouryon name, completing the transition to an independent corporate identity.

  M&AOther
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1. Nouryon official website
2. Nouryon company history
3. Nouryon leadership
4. AkzoNobel announcement of Specialty Chemicals sale