History
The Company was founded by Bernard Laporte, a German Chemist, in 1888 as a supplier of peroxide to bleach straw boating hats. It subsequently diversified into other aspects of bleaching and commercial laundry chemicals.
In the 1980s it disposed of its manufacturing operations.
In 1993 it acquired Evode Group plc, suppliers of adhesives and specialties. It went on to buy Aztec Peroxides Inc., a US peroxides business, in 1994 and Inspec Group plc, suppliers of specialty chemicals, in 1998.
It sold its major divisions, some 55% of the business by revenue, to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 2000. These divisions (Pigments and Additives, Formulated Products & Compounds and Computers & Electronics) subsequently became known as Rockwood Holdings Inc.
In December 2000 Degussa SKW, a joint venture between Degussa AG and SKW Trostberg, acquired the remainder of the business. The performance chemicals business was subsequently sold on by Degussa to Cognis.
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