Evonik Acquires Degussa Engineered Carbons

Evonik Industries has acquired the remaining 50 per cent of shares in its former carbon black Joint Venture – Degussa Engineered Carbons (DEC), effectively 29 October 2007. DEC will now be a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Evonik. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

“Carbon black is one of our strategic growth areas that we are systematically expanding. This transaction underlines Evonik’s commitment in the North American market and will add significant value to our Group,” said Dr. Klaus Engel, Member of the Management Board of Evonik and responsible for the Chemicals business area. Thomas Hermann, head of Evonik’s Advanced Fillers & Pigments Business Unit, commented: “The acquisition is an important step to consolidate our position in one of our key strategic markets, and will help us to serve our global key accounts even better.”

In 2002 Evonik and ECI formed the joint venture to combine their carbon black businesses in North America. DEC is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey/US, and produces and markets furnace grade carbon blacks for the rubber and pigment industries in North America and thermal blacks worldwide.

DEC is one of the activities of Evonik’s Business Unit Advanced Fillers & Pigments which is present globally in 30 production locations in 18 countries on five continents. Evonik is the only one-stop-shop supplier of carbon black, rubber silicas and rubber silanes. This makes the Advanced Fillers & Pigments Business Unit one of the highest performing system providers for the rubber-processing industry.