A Global Engineering Materials Star Is Born

A new global engineering materials business had its official launch on April 3 in Düsseldorf, Germany. Envalior, a combination of industry leaders in materials Lanxess and DSM Engineering Materials, is a joint venture of global private equity firm Advent International and Lanxess. Right out of the gate, Envalior is positioned among the top global engineering materials companies with a turnover of approximately €4 billion and a workforce of 4,000 employees.

The new company builds on a 100-year track record of customer-focused innovation and a strong global footprint in Asia, Europe, and the United States. Its portfolio of leading product brands and recycled and bio-based materials serve an array of industries, including the automotive and mobility, electronics and electrical, and consumer goods sectors.

The name is designed to reflect a combination of characteristics that best summarizes its ambition, said Envalior: En stands for engaging, enterprising, engineering, environment, and valior represents a value-driven and value-creating culture.

“All of us on Envalior’s leadership team are very excited to build on the impressive legacies of these two great companies,” said CEO Calum MacLean, who a member of the founding management team of Ineos and, most recently, CEO of Synthomer. “The launch of Envalior is a proud moment for us and all our employees around the world, and I am deeply grateful to everyone whose contributions have enabled us to reach this exciting milestone. Our new company’s product portfolio includes some of the most recognizable product brands in our industry, and we are a leading supplier to a number of key industries. By combining two highly complementary businesses, we have created a true industry leader that will realize value and drive progress for our customers, our employees, our shareholders, and society as a whole.”

MacLean added that the company will carry on the tradition of focusing on sustainable solutions. “Moving forward, we will continue to drive carbon-efficient and circular technology within our industry to enable sustainable solutions across the value chain,” he said in a prepared statement.

Lanxess CEO Matthias Zachert added that with the joint venture, “we are launching a global champion in high-performance polymers. The company has all it takes to actively shape future trends such as in new mobility and to benefit from its great growth potential. We look forward to accompanying and supporting Envalior on this journey.”

Envalior develops materials that enable lightweighting in the automative sector, allowing for essential CO₂ emissions savings. Its materials are also used to advance e-mobility in battery and charging systems, electronic control systems, power electronics, and many other automotive applications. Its high-performance materials are also broadly used to produce smartphone components and a variety of consumer goods.

The company consists of three global divisions: Performance Materials, Specialty Materials, and Intermediates.