Sunscreen & sun care

Global leader in dispensing systems — pumps, sprayers, airless and aerosol valves — for beauty, personal care and pharma. >15% of the cosmetic packaging market; dominant in the functional dispenser.

Leading specialty maker of high-purity cosmetic emulsifiers, surfactants and actives.

World's largest cosmetic-tube maker (~12% of cosmetic packaging); laminate and plastic tubes plus dispensing and refillable packaging for sun care and skincare.

Melbourne, Australia-based global flexible and rigid packaging company (NYSE: AMCR). On April 30, 2025, Amcor completed its all-stock acquisition of Berry Global Group for $8.4 billion — creating the world's largest flexible packaging company with ~$23 billion in anticipated annual revenue, 400+ facilities globally, and ~70,000 employees in ~140 countries. Amcor had previously acquired Bemis Company (2019, $6.8B). The combined Amcor+Berry entity holds dominant positions in frozen food LLDPE/LDPE packaging film for IQF vegetables, frozen meat, frozen seafood, and convenience foods. Berry had been a major US blown film producer with multiple facilities. Global flexibles represent ~60% of combined Amcor+Berry's business. Brands include Cryovac (via Sealed Air — separate company), Bemis, and many unbranded OEM films.

World's largest chemical company by revenue; dominant Western producer of food-grade sodium nitrite. BASF expanded sodium nitrite production capacity in Germany specifically to meet growing demand for high-purity pharmaceutical and food applications. Primary production at Ludwigshafen (world's largest contiguous chemical complex). Also produces sodium nitrite catalysts, sulfuric acid, and intermediates for pharmaceutical synthesis. BASF sells food-grade sodium nitrite to meat processors globally through distribution networks and third-party channels.

U.S. specialty chemicals company (NYSE: CC, HQ Wilmington DE); spun off from DuPont in 2015, inheriting DuPont's century-old fluorochemicals business that invented Freon (CFCs) in 1930. Now the world's largest HFO refrigerant producer under the Opteon™ brand. Operates world's largest HFO facility in Ingleside, Texas (near Corpus Christi): $300M investment opened June 2019, >3x capacity; expanded further in 2022. Jointly holds patents on R-1234yf (automotive AC) and R-454B (Opteon XL41, HVAC) with Honeywell. R-454B became mandatory for new U.S. HVAC equipment from January 1, 2025 (EPA AIM Act), triggering an active supply shortage with 4-8 week lead times and cylinder prices rising from $345 (2021) to $2,000+ (2025).

Croda International plc (Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK; LSE: CRDA; ~£1.7B revenue) is a specialty chemicals company producing high-performance ingredients for consumer care, life sciences, and industrial applications. Croda's industrial chemicals division produces fatty acid derivatives and specialty esters relevant to fuel additive formulation chemistry — including dimer acid derivatives that overlap with the chemistry platform of jet fuel corrosion inhibitors. Croda's Goole, Yorkshire facility is its historic UK manufacturing base. Croda is primarily an indirect player in aviation CI chemistry — supplying raw material chemistry platforms rather than finished aviation-specification CI products — but its dimer acid and fatty acid derivative expertise is relevant to the corrosion inhibitor supply chain.

Belgian zinc powder company (HQ Brussels, part of Recticel Group, then independent); operates 12 global production sites for specialty zinc powders. ZBM (Zinc Battery Material) product line for alkaline batteries produced since 1976; major global supplier to Energizer, Duracell, Panasonic Battery, and other alkaline battery makers. Battery zinc powder must be alloyed with trace indium or bismuth additives to suppress hydrogen gas evolution (gassing) — regular zinc powder cannot substitute. EverZinc's global footprint (Europe, North America, Asia) makes it the most geographically distributed battery zinc powder supplier.

Evonik Industries AG (XETRA: EVK; Essen Germany; MDAX listed); world's largest DL-methionine producer under the MetAMINO brand. Total DL-methionine capacity exceeds 700,000 MT/year across three continental hubs: Jurong Island Singapore (~340,000 MT/year — world's largest single methionine complex, expanded +40k MT August 2024), Theodore Mobile County Alabama USA (~245,000 MT/year), and Antwerp Belgium (~120,000 MT/year). The Wesseling Germany DL-Met line closed Q1 2021 as Evonik consolidated production to the three-hub network. Evonik first commercialized DL-methionine synthesis in the 1950s under predecessor Degussa. MetAMINO is Evonik's largest single product. ~30-32% global market share. In February 2022 Evonik announced a $176.5M investment in a new methyl mercaptan (MMP intermediate feedstock) plant at the Alabama site.

German zinc and chemical company (HQ Duisburg, family-owned); founded in 1842 by Wilhelm Grillo — making Grillo-Werke older than the telephone (1876), the light bulb (1879), and the automobile (1885). Produces battery-grade zinc powder under the BatteryZinc® brand for alkaline battery anodes; claims to be the only full-range European battery zinc powder supplier with particle sizes from 20-600 μm and guaranteed purity >99.995%. Also produces zinc oxide (for tires, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals), sulfuric acid, and specialty chemicals. The same German family company that made zinc before electricity was discovered makes the zinc powder in every Duracell and Varta battery sold in Europe today.

China's largest TiO2 producer; ~14–17% global market share; operates both chloride and sulfate processes across 6 sites in 5 Chinese locations (~1,215 kt/yr capacity); acquired Venator's Greatham (England) plant in 2025.

Largest manufacturer of metal food cans in North America (NASDAQ: SLGN). Silgan Containers division is the dominant supplier of steel and aluminum cans to the wet pet food industry — directly serving Nestle Purina, Hill's Pet Nutrition (Colgate-Palmolive), Mars Petcare (Royal Canin, Pedigree), and Blue Buffalo (General Mills). ~$6.1B total revenue 2024; ~16,000 employees. Metal containers segment (food cans, aerosols) accounts for roughly two-thirds of revenue. Operates approximately 50+ manufacturing plants in North America. Metal containers include both tinplate (steel) and aluminum 2-piece cans for human food (soups, vegetables, fruit) and pet food. During the 2020-2021 COVID can shortage, Silgan was the most cited supplier under allocation pressure for wet pet food manufacturers. Silgan also makes dispensing and closure systems for food, pet food, beauty, and pharma.

F&F company; ~10% global fine fragrance share; growing personal care ingredient unit.

Global TiO2 producer and mineral sands miner; claims to be the world's largest fully vertically integrated TiO2 and inorganic chemicals company; ~15–18% global TiO2 market share; operates from ore mining through finished pigment.

dsm-firmenich AG (Kaiseraugst, Basel-Land, Switzerland; formed by merger of DSM NV Netherlands and Firmenich SA Geneva, completed May 2023; combined revenue ~€12B of which fragrance ~€3-4B) is the world's third-largest fragrance company. Firmenich (private, Geneva; founded 1895 by Philippe Chuit and Martin Naef) was the world's largest private fragrance house and the only major fragrance company to remain independent until the DSM merger. Firmenich's fragrance heritage includes Chanel No. 5 (Firmenich supplies the fragrance compound to Chanel — one of the most carefully guarded commercial relationships in the fragrance industry; the Chanel No. 5 formula is a Firmenich-originated formula from 1921). DSM contributed nutrition, health, and biosciences (vitamins, carotenoids, animal feed enzymes) to the merger. The combined dsm-firmenich operates manufacturing at Geneva (Switzerland), Haverhill (UK), Neuvy-sur-Barangeon (France), and Florham Park (USA). The Firmenich name is retained in the merged entity's fragrance operations branding.