BRENNTAG SCHWEIZERHALL AG

Swisshall Chemie AG was formed in 2001 through the merger of Chemische Fabrik Schweizerhall AG, Basel, with its then sister companies Prochimie Avenches SA, Avenches, and Solva-Chemie AG, Bätterkinden. The roots of Chemische Fabrik Schweizerhall date back to the first half of the 19th century. Following the discovery of a salt deposit in Schweizerhalle in 1836, the first Swiss saltworks was put into operation. This was shortly thereafter transformed into a chemical factory, the "chemical factory in Schweizerhalle," which specialized in the production of various chemicals. By the end of the last century, the company moved its headquarters to Basel. Around the turn of the century, the business activities were expanded to include the petroleum business and a feed department, and between the two world wars, trade was introduced as an additional pillar alongside chemical production. For many decades, chemicals, pharmaceutical raw materials, grains, mineral oils, as well as grain and feed products were part of the successfully managed portfolio. From the mid-1970s, the internationalization of business activities took place, leading to the formation of a corporate group active in various sectors worldwide. The group functions were transferred to Swisshall Holding AG, which is listed on the Swiss stock exchange. As part of the group strategy, the activities of Swisshall Chemie AG were concentrated on the chemical trading and distribution business from the mid-1990s and were specifically strengthened by the acquisition of the Synopharm brand and the waste disposal business of Solva-Chemie AG. In mid-2006, Swisshall Chemie AG was acquired by the Brenntag Group and has been operating under the name Brenntag Schweizerhall AG since 2007. At the same time, Christ Chemie AG and Chem-On Vertriebs-AG were integrated.