Umicore
| UMICORE NV / SA
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| legal form | Corporation |
| ISIN | BE0974320526 |
| founding | 1989 |
| Seat |
Brussels , Belgium
|
| management | Marc Grynberg ( CEO ) |
| Number of employees | over 10,000 |
| sales | 14.8 billion euros (2018) |
| Branch | Raw materials, recycling, precious metals |
| Website | www.umicore.de |
| As of December 31, 2018 | |
The Umicore NV / SA is a Belgian Materialtechnologie- and recycling organization, headquartered in Brussels .
The company employs around 10,000 people worldwide and is listed on NYSE Euronext in the BEL20 . In 2018 Umicore generated sales of around 14.8 billion euros.
Foundation and company history
The history of Umicore began over 200 years ago with the meeting of a number of mining and smelting companies, which over time merged to form what is now the material technology and recycling group Umicore.
On December 17, 1805, Jean-Jacques Dony received the lease rights from Napoleon Bonaparte to the Altenberg Galmeigrube (Vieille-Montagne) in Moresnet on what is now the German-Belgian border. The small zinc factory was the origin of the “ Société Anonyme des Mines et Fonderies de Zinc de la Vieille-Montagne ” founded in 1837 by the Belgian banker and industrialist François-Dominique Mosselman , the oldest ancestor of today's Umicore Group.
The company was founded in 1906 under the name Union Minière du Haut Katanga (UMHK) (German "Bergbau-Union") as a state mining company. In the beginning, the company was mainly active in Katanga , which belonged to the Belgian colonial possession of the Congo in Africa . During the Second World War , the company supplied the United States with uranium from the Shinkolobwe mine , which was used for the Manhattan Project and then for the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki . From the end of 1960, during the Congo crisis , the company gave massive support to Moïse Tschombé , who had proclaimed a state of his own in Katanga .
In 1966, large parts of the company located in the Congo were expropriated and nationalized and re-established in the new state company Gécamines .
In 1989 there was a merger with Metallurgie Hoboken - Overpelt (MHO) and Société des Mines et Fonderies de Zinc de la Vieille Montagne SA to create a non-ferrous metal producer.
In the late 1990s, the company increasingly developed into a specialty materials group. The remaining mining business and other non-strategic business areas had already been parted with and the focus was now on precious metals, high-margin zinc products and highly developed materials. The realignment with the move away from mining and the production of raw materials and non-ferrous metals was taken into account in 2001 when the group was renamed Umicore. The first three letters stand for Union Minière's initials and point to the Group's historical roots.
The takeover of the Precious Metals Group (PMG) in 2003 gave the company a new dimension, among other things through its strong presence in the field of automobile exhaust catalysts. PMG was the former precious metals division of the German Degussa group . In 1887 this was a founding partner of the Umicore site in Hoboken.
In 2005 Umicore spun off its copper activities into a separate company: Cumerio . Two years later, the merger of the zinc and alloy division with Zinifex, the new company Nyrstar was founded.
Recent developments
In March 2006 the 50/50 joint venture SolviCore GmbH & Co. KG was founded for research and development in the field of fuel cells together with the Belgian company Solvay . The object of the company is the further development, production and marketing of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the heart of the fuel cell. Regardless of this, the two companies will continue their research and development activities in the field of fuel cells separately in their specialty areas of membranes (Solvay) and precious metal catalysts (Umicore). In June 2015, the two companies announced the sale of the joint venture, which has since been operated by the Japanese group Toray under the name Greenerity GmbH .
In the summer of 2007, the group expanded its activities in the field of catalytic converters through the acquisition of the catalysts division of the Delphi group.
Also in 2007 Umicore founded a joint venture (HyCore) with Norsk Hydro for the development, manufacture and sale of solar silicon . Umicore was involved in this area from 2005 to 2012 as the main sponsor of a team at the World Solar Challenge , where this technology is already in use.
At the turn of the year 2008/2009, Umicore, through its Luxembourg holding company Umicore Finance Luxembourg SA (today: Umicore International SA), submitted a voluntary public purchase offer to the outside shareholders of its more than 90% holding company Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt AG ("AGOSI") in Pforzheim, to take over AGOSI completely after a possible squeeze-out . This purchase offer expired without the 95% majority required for a squeeze-out being achieved.
Already after Umicore bought the previous Degussa precious metals activities in 2003, the refining of Umicore AG & Co. KG at the Hanau location (once the heart and eponymous business of Degussa) was relocated in several steps to Hoboken, Belgium, and to Hanau Permanently closed at the end of 2009.
In May 2012 Umicore and Prayon formed a joint venture to work together on the development and production of phosphate-based cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
The Umicore Shokubai joint venture between the Japanese chemical company Nippon Shokubai and Umicore has existed since June 2012 . The joint venture, in which Umicore holds 60% of the shares, produces and sells automotive catalytic converters for global Japanese manufacturers of light and heavy commercial vehicles at locations in and outside Europe. As early as 1992, through the legal predecessor of Umicore, Degussa AG, there was a collaboration in this area through the ICT joint venture.
At the end of 2013 Umicore USA, Inc. acquired Palm Commodities International, Inc., headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Umicore has thus expanded its 'Cobalt and Specialty Materials' business unit to include another dealer and processor of nickel, cobalt and copper compounds. Furthermore, Palm specializes in various quartz, powder and rare earths.
In 2014 Umicore announced the acquisition of full ownership of Todini and Co. The two companies have operated a joint venture since 2005. With the acquisition of the 52% shares in the Todini family, Umicore acquired full ownership.
In 2016, the Eramet Group acquired Eurotungstène in Grenoble, France.
In 2016 Umicore sold the Zinc Chemicals activities to OpenGate Capital.
In 2017, the company acquired full ownership of Ordeg Co., Ltd., a joint venture of the Korean company OCI Company Ltd. and Samkwang Glass Co., Ltd.
In September 2017 Umicore announced that it would merge the Rheinfelden and Bad Säckingen locations by the end of 2019 and close Rheinfelden at the same time. Also in September 2017, the company sold its Building Products activities to Fedrus International.
In December 2017, Umicore announced the sale of its European Technical Materials business to Saxonia Edelmetalle GmbH , which was completed in February 2018. Also in December 2017, Umicore completed the acquisition of the stationary and commercial vehicle catalysts business from Haldor Topsoe.
Products
Umicore is a global leader in the production and recycling of special materials and metals (e.g. cobalt , germanium , nickel , zinc , gold , silver and platinum metals ). Customers are mainly the chemical processing industry, the automotive, building materials, jewelry and electronics industries.
Umicore is divided into the following business areas:
- Catalysis
- Energy & Surface Technologies
- recycling
The Catalysis business area includes the manufacture of vehicle catalysts . An important step forward in the further development of automotive catalytic converters is the palladium- based oxidation catalytic converter for diesel vehicles . The previous catalytic converters for diesel vehicles included the more expensive platinum .
The precious metal bars produced by Umicore were marked with the traditional Degussa stamp until the end of 2005 . Since the license agreement expired, they have been stamped with the Umicore company logo . Umicore gold and silver bars have the "Good Delivery" rating from the London Bullion Market Association . As a contractual partner of Deutsche Börse Commodities GmbH , Umicore has been producing and delivering physical bars to cover Xetra Gold since the end of 2007 and is responsible for delivery claims. From August 2011 up to and including December 2013, Umicore produced coin bars in addition to conventional precious metal bars .
All Umicore bars have had the new logo since 2017. Since then, the company has also been delivering its gold bars in new packaging with a certificate of authenticity.
Locations in German-speaking countries
The largest German company in the Umicore Group, with over 1,100 employees, is Umicore AG & Co. KG , based in Hanau in Hesse and branches in Rheinfelden (Baden) and Bad Säckingen . The divisions Automotive Catalysts , Precious Metals Management and Precious Metals Chemistry are each based here. Other companies belonging to the Umicore Group are Umicore Galvanotechnik GmbH in Schwäbisch Gmünd , Umicore Metalle & Surfaces GmbH and Todini GmbH in Essen and Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt AG in Pforzheim . In Austria, the Österreichische Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt Gesellschaft mbH ( Ögussa ) with headquarters in Vienna belongs to the group , in Liechtenstein Umicore Thin Film Products AG, Balzers , and in Switzerland Allgemeine Suisse SA in Yverdon-les-Bains .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Umicore achieves strategic goals of "Horizon 2020" two years ahead of schedule and confirms growth potential. Retrieved February 27, 2019 .
- ↑ BEL 20 | Euronext. Retrieved July 24, 2017 .
- ↑ Umicore achieves strategic goals of "Horizon 2020" two years ahead of schedule and confirms growth potential. In: umicore.de. Retrieved February 27, 2019 .
- ^ Nyrstar History. In: nyrstar.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016 ; accessed on July 24, 2017 (English).
- ^ Umicore history. In: umicore.de. Retrieved July 3, 2017 .
- ^ Activities of the Solvay Group. In: solvay.de. Retrieved September 4, 2013 .
- ↑ Toray Group takes over SolviCore. In: greenerity.com. March 5, 2013, accessed July 24, 2017 .
- ↑ Umicore and Solvay sell joint venture SolviCore to Toray. In: solvay.de. Retrieved July 24, 2017 .
- ↑ Umicore and Solvay sell their joint venture SolviCore to Toray. In: umicore.de. Retrieved July 3, 2017 .
- ^ Precious Metals Management - Gold. In: umicore.de. Retrieved July 24, 2017 .
- ↑ Thomas Jungmann: Umicore takes over Delphi's catalyst business. In: ATZ online. October 1, 2007, accessed July 3, 2017 .
- ↑ Umicore and Prayon join forces to develop and produce phosphate based cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Retrieved July 3, 2017 .
- ^ Nippon Shokubai: Umicore and Nippon Shokubai form automotive catalyst joint venture. Retrieved July 24, 2017 .
- ^ Umicore and Nippon Shokubai form automotive catalyst joint venture. June 14, 2012, accessed July 3, 2017 .
- ^ Palm Inc: About Us. Retrieved July 24, 2017 .
- ↑ Umicore acquires Palm Commodities International, a leading manufacturer and distributor of plating materials in the US. December 19, 2013, accessed July 3, 2017 .
- ↑ Umicore acquires full ownership of Todini and Co. December 2, 2014, accessed on July 3, 2017 .
- ↑ Umicore to acquire Eurotungstene from the Eramet Group. December 9, 2016, accessed July 3, 2017 .
- ↑ OpenGate Capital Completes Acquisition of Umicore Zinc Chemicals. Retrieved July 24, 2017 .
- ^ Umicore to sell Zinc Chemicals activities to OpenGate Capital. June 1, 2016, accessed July 3, 2017 .
- ^ Company Introduction. In: ordeg.co.kr. Retrieved July 24, 2017 .
- ↑ Umicore acquires full ownership of auto catalytic converter joint venture in South Korea. In: umicore.de. March 14, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2017 .
- ↑ Umicore consolidates German car catalytic converter production. In: umicore.de. September 27, 2016, accessed July 3, 2017 .
- ^ Umicore - Umicore's sale of Building Products to Fedrus International completed. Retrieved October 9, 2017 .
- ↑ Umicore sells European Technical Materials business to SAXONIA Edelmetalle. Retrieved January 4, 2018 .
- ↑ Technical Materials. Retrieved January 10, 2019 .
- ↑ Umicore plans to take over the stationary and commercial vehicle catalytic converter business from Haldor Topsoe. Retrieved January 4, 2018 .
- ↑ Svend Ravn: Topsoe sharpens focus, sells emission control areas . ( topsoe.com [accessed January 4, 2018]).
- ^ Umicore Industries. In: umicore.de. Retrieved July 6, 2017 .
- ^ Media Gallery. Retrieved July 24, 2017 .
- ^ Refiners Gold Current. London Bullion Market , accessed October 1, 2016 .
- ^ Refiners Silver Current. London Bullion Market , accessed October 1, 2016 .
- ^ Commodities (Xetra Gold). Clearstream , accessed October 1, 2016 .
- ↑ Questions and answers on Xetra-Gold. (PDF; 38.71 KB) Deutsche Börse Commodities GmbH, January 5, 2010, archived from the original on September 30, 2016 ; accessed on October 1, 2016 .
- ↑ A sure thing - Umicore gold bars with a certificate of authenticity. In: umicore.de. November 3, 2016, accessed July 6, 2017 .
- ↑ Our locations. Retrieved July 6, 2017 .
- ↑ Locations ›Agosi Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt AG. Retrieved July 6, 2017 .