Solvay: History of a Multinational Family Firm

Ernest Solvay, philanthropist and organizer of the world-famous Solvay conferences on physics, discovered a profitable way of making soda ash in 1861. Together with a handful of associates, he laid the foundations of the Solvay company, which successfully branched out to other chemicals, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. Since its emergence in 1863, Solvay has maintained world leadership in the production of soda ash. This is the first scholarly book on the history of the Solvay company, which was one of the earliest chemical multinationals and today is among the world's twenty largest chemical companies. It is also one of the largest companies in the field to preserve its family character. The authors analyze the company's 150-year history (1863-2013) from economic, political, and social perspectives, showing the enormous impact geopolitical events had on the company and the recent consequences of global competition.

Author: Ernst Homburg, Kenneth Bertrams, Nicolas Coupain
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 01/14/2013
Pages: 650
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.40lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.50w x 2.40d
ISBN: 9781107024809

About the Author
Bertrams, Kenneth: - Kenneth Bertrams is Research Fellow at the National Fund for Scientific Research in Belgium and Lecturer in History at the Free University of Brussels, Belgium.Coupain, Nicolas: - Nicolas Coupain is Historian and Scientific Advisor at Solvay S. A.Homburg, Ernst: - Ernst Homburg is Professor of History of Science and Technology at Maastricht University, The Netherlands.