The State of the US Specialty Chemicals Industry
How Resilience, Reliability, and Innovation are Reshaping Specialty Chemicals Manufacturing in the US
Specialty Chemicals
Colonial Chemical Solutions Acquires Integrity Partners Group
Colonial Chemical Solutions has acquired Integrity Partners Group, adding Chemisphere and Chemsolv to expand its Southeast footprint, capabilities, and customer reach in chemical distribution.
CEFIC: Miguel Prieto Arranz Appointed Executive Director Specialty Chemicals
CEFIC recently announced the promotion of Miguel Prieto Arranz to Executive Director, Specialty Chemicals, as of 1 April 2026.
Dystar Aquired by Zhejiang Longsheng Group
Dystar has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Zhejiang Longsheng Group following the $688.9 million buyout of KIRI Industries’ 37.5% stake, marking the end of a long shareholder dispute.
Resilient Industry Adapts to Challenges
SOCMA’s 2026 Contract Manufacturing Outlook shows a resilient, innovative specialty chemical sector, with SMBs driving agility amid tariffs, regulatory complexity, and global uncertainty.
Nouryon Opens New Innovation Center in Shanghai
Nouryon has opened a new innovation center in Shanghai to boost localized innovation, customer collaboration, and sustainable development in key industries across China and the Asia Pacific region.
Aster and Lubrizol Forge Strategic Partnership for Specialty Chemicals in APAC
Aster and Lubrizol have signed a strategic MoU to combine Aster’s refinery and petrochemical operations with Lubrizol’s innovation capabilities.
ESIM Chemicals Files for Bankruptcy
ESIM Chemicals filed for bankruptcy proceedings at the Linz Regional Court in mid-October. The Austrian specialty chemicals company is heavily indebted.
SOCMA Report Finds Specialty Chemical Manufacturers Strong, Adaptive, and Positioned for Growth
Three-year outlook highlights investment in automation, cybersecurity, and regulated manufacturing as key drivers of long-term competitiveness.
Safic-Alcan Acquires Anders, Expands in Latin America
Safic-Alcan has expanded its reach in Latin America with the acquisition of Anders, strengthening its position and portfolio within the region's specialty chemicals market.
Safic-Alcan Acquire Ingredients Plus, Strengthening APAC Position
Safic-Alcan, a distributor of specialty chemicals, announces the acquisition of Ingredients Plus, a specialty chemicals distributor with a strong historical presence in the personal care sector in Malaysia and Singapore.
Azelis Acquires Italian Specialty Chemicals Distributor ACEF
Azelis has acquired Azienda Chimica e Farmaceutica (‘ACEF’), a distributor of speciality raw materials and ingredients for the cosmetic, nutraceutical, galenic, and pharma industries in Italy.
Aditya Birla Acquires Cargill Specialty Chemicals Facility
Aditya Birla, an Indian multinational conglomerate, recently announced the expansion of its US Advanced Materials business with the acquisition of Cargill’s specialty chemical facility in Dalton, Georgia.
Gelest Completes New Production Facility
Gelest, a Mitsubishi Chemical Group company, announced the opening of its new production facility in the US.
Petronas Inaugurates Specialty Chemicals Laboratory in Shanghai
Perstorp and BRB, subsidiaries of Petronas Chemicals Group (PCG), inaugurated an innovation hub in Shanghai, China. The laboratory will support growth in the region by increasing technical support for customers.
The Trump Tariffs
China’s chemical industry is diversifying markets, boosting innovation, and strengthening supply chains to counter US tariffs and maintain export resilience.
Fostering Innovation and Collaboration
Valerie Diele-Braun, CEO of IMCD, shares her vision for sustainability, global expansions, and strategic direction in an exclusive CHEManager International interview.
Safic-Alcan Enters Indian Market with a Strategic Partnership with Avees Biocos
Safic-Alcan, a distributor of specialty chemicals, recently announced that it has acquired a majority stake in Avees Biocos Private Limited, a personal care chemical distributor in India.
IMCD Expands Pharmaceuticals Technical Centre and Wins Laura Marshall Award
IMCD Group, a global distribution partner and formulator of specialty chemicals and ingredients, recently announced the expansion of its Pharmaceuticals Technical Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia. This facility will serve as the hub for pharmaceutical development and innovation across Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
DKSH Performance Materials Acquires Elite Organic
DKSH has announced the signing of an agreement to acquire Malaysia's Elite Organic Sdn. Bhd. This acquisition allows DKSH Performance Materials to enhance its capabilities in the promising pharmaceutical, food, and nutraceutical markets across the Asia Pacific region.
Accelerating Chemicals Innovation
The Spanish computational chemistry start-up Nextmol (Bytelab Solutions), a spin-off from the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that accelerates research and innovation in sustainable specialty chemicals through “in silico” experiments using molecular modeling and artificial intelligence (AI).
