SKW Trostberg and Degussa-Hüls have successfully merged, forming Degussa AG.  The merger of the two companies, completed February 9, 2001, makes the new Degussa the largest specialty chemical company in the world.  The 206 million shares of Degussa were available for trade on the Frankfurt stock exchange beginning February 19.  Degussa reports a work force of 63,000 employees in over 100 countries throughout the world, with 1999 earnings of approximately 6.7 billion USD. 

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The company’s Group Management, based in the Düsseldorf Corporate Center, will concentrate on strategic functions.  Twenty-one global business units, gathered together into six divisions, are responsible for operational business. The new Degussa will have a decentralized structure, operating under the belief that the best decisions are made where expertise is available – in the business units.


In North America the business units from SKW BIOSYSTEMS, Inc. are now part of the Health & Nutrition division. The business units include BioActives, Flavors & Fruit Systems, Texturant Systems. Each of the business units will continue to operate as they have with Texturant based in Atlanta, Georgia; Fruit Systems in Langhorne, Pennsylvania; Flavors in Cincinnati, Ohio and BioActives in Waukesha, Wisconsin.


Innovation drives the company’s growth and profit margins, with an emphasis placed on Research and Development, investing approximately 457 million USD in R&D in 1999.  The effort to develop new technologies, and expand core business resulted in approximately 25,000 patents held by the company worldwide in early 2000.       


Degussa Health & Nutrition is one of six Divisions of the new Degussa AG and comprises the Business Units– Flavors (Regional Center: Cincinnati, Ohio. Contact at flavors.us@degussa.com)  & Fruit Systems (Regional Center: Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Contact at sweetovations@degussa.com), BioActives (Regional Center: Waukesha, Wisconsin. Contact at bioactives.us@degussa.com), Feedadditives (Regional Center: Atlanta, Georgia. Contact at feed.additives@degussa.com) and Texturant Systems (Regional Center: Atlanta, Georgia. Contact at texturantsystems@degussa.com).

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