Umicore
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- Marc Grynberg, CEO
The Umicore NV / SA is a Belgian materials technology group headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
The company employs approximately 14,400 people and is listed on the Belgian stock exchange NYSE Euro Next in Bel20 index. In 2012 Umicore generated a turnover of around 12.5 billion euros.
Foundation and History
The company was founded in 1909 under the name Union Minière du Haut Katanga ( UMHK ) ( " Mining Union "), founded as a state mining company. Main focus of the company has been in his early days in Katanga, which belonged to the Belgian colonial possessions in Africa Congo. In 1989 there was a merger with the company metallurgy Hoboken Overpelt ( MHO ) and Société des Mines et de Zinc de la Vieille Fonderies Montagne SA ( whose origins go back to the year 1850 ) to a base metal producer.
The company then developed in the 1990s to a metal and Materials Group. This realignment was also worn in 2000 by renaming the current name " Umicore " bill. In summer 2003, Umicore eventually took over the former Degussa's activities in the precious metals sector (companies Degussa Metals Catalysts Dmc ² Cerdec AG) of the OM Group Inc., Cleveland (USA), and thus expanded its portfolio to this product area.
Recent developments
Since 2003, the company converted back to a group of special materials in the fields of chemistry, metallurgy and materials science. Therefore was separated from the original mining business (copper, zinc). The copper operations were spun off at the beginning of 2005, a spin-off with about 1500 employees in a new company called Cumerio. 2007 led Umicore and Zinifex their Australian zinc smelting and zinc alloy shops zinc producer Nyrstar is the world's together and brought the company public.
In March 2006, was established for the research and development of fuel cells together with the Belgian Solvay SA, the 50-50 joint venture SolviCore GmbH & Co. KG. Purpose of the company is the development, production and marketing of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA ), the heart of the fuel cell. Regardless, the two companies put your research and development activities in the field of fuel cells still in their specialized fields membranes ( Solvay ) or noble metal catalysts ( Umicore ) separated away.
In the summer of 2007, the Group expanded its operations by acquiring the catalysts division of the Delphi Group's operations in automotive catalytic converters.
Also in 2007, founded Umicore, together with Norsk Hydro, a joint venture ( HyCore ) to develop, manufacture and distribution of silicon for the production of solar cells. In this area, Umicore committed from 2005 to 2012 as the main sponsor of a team at the World Solar Challenge, where this technology is already being implemented. Since 2013 Umicore is sponsoring as part of the sponsorship program "Powered by Umicore " different student teams, which deal with clean mobility.
At the turn of 2008/2009 under broad Umicore its Luxembourg holding company Umicore Finance Luxembourg SA (now Umicore International SA ) to the outside shareholders of their more than 90% -owned affiliate General Gold and Silver Separating Plant AG ("General " ) in Pforzheim, a voluntary public tender offer, shares of Common acquire to completely take over the General about a possible squeeze-out. This purchase offer passed without the required to squeeze out a majority of 95 % convened.
After the purchase of the former Degussa precious metals activities by Umicore in 2003, the precious metal divorce ( Refining ) was the Umicore AG ( once the centerpiece and namesake business of Degussa) shifted & Co. KG in Hanau in several steps into the Belgian Hoboken and in Hanau finally closed in late 2009.
In 2010, the company announced its Vision 2015 known and the concomitant transformation of existing business segments in the following new sections: Catalysis, Energy Materials, Performance Materials and Recycling.
In May 2012, Umicore and Prayon got together in the form of a joint venture to collaborate batteries in the development and production of phosphate-based cathode materials for lithium-ion.
Since June 2012, there is a joint venture between Umicore Shokubai the Japanese chemical company Nippon Shokubai and Umicore. The joint venture, 60 % of the shares at the Umicore, manufactures and sells at locations in and outside of Europe automotive catalysts for globally operating Japanese manufacturers of light and heavy commercial vehicles.
Products
Umicore is a world leader in the production and recycling of special materials and metals (eg, cobalt, germanium, nickel, zinc, gold, silver and platinum group metals). Customers are mainly the chemical processing industry, automotive, building materials, jewelery and electrical industries.
Umicore is organized into the following business segments:
- Catalysis
- Energy Materials
- Performance Materials
- Recycling
Among other things, part of the business field Catalysis production of automotive catalysts. An important advance in the development of automotive catalytic converters is based on palladium oxidation catalyst for diesel vehicles. The previous catalysts for diesel vehicles included so far, much more expensive platinum.
Precious metal bars were still being manufactured by Umicore until the end of 2005 with the traditional embossing Degussa. After the expiry of this license agreement are now produced only with the Umicore company logo.
Locations in the German speaking
The largest German company Umicore Group has approximately 1,300 employees, Umicore AG & Co. KG, with headquarters in Hanau and with offices in Rheinfelden (Baden ) and Bad Säckingen. Here the divisions Automotive Catalysts, Platinum Engineered Materials Precious Metals Management, Technical Materials and Precious Metals Chemistry have each established their field guides. More to the Umicore Group subsidiary companies are the Umicore Electroplating GmbH in Schwäbisch Gmünd, the Umicore GmbH in Essen and cross- ford - Gatterstädt, Umicore metals and finishes GmbH in Essen and the General Gold and Silver Separating Plant AG in Pforzheim. In Austria, the Austrian Gold and Silver Separating Plant mbH, which ( ÖGUSSA ) is headquartered Vienna to the Group, in Liechtenstein, Umicore Thin Film Products AG, Balzers, and in Switzerland, the company Umicore Strub AG in Lyss and Umicore Building Products Switzerland SA in Boesingen.