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Bioprocess Pilot Facility B.V. in the Netherlands puts its clients’ scale-up trials to the test. Unique in its sector, BPF scales chemical and biotechnological processes from the lab to precommercial scale and even further. But it is not just the company’s services that set it apart: it is its unique approach. Eric Goossens, Managing Director of BPF, explains more.

Founded in the 1960s, the Mediterranean-Rhône pipeline company, known as SPMR, operates a network of pipelines backed by refineries and import depots on the Mediterranean coast and by the Lyon-Feyzin refinery. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it provides road and aviation fuel and heating fluids to the depots in the southeast of France and the region of Geneva through its connection to a Swiss pipeline, covering nearly 75% of the demand from these regions.

Modern chemistry increasingly borders on alchemy. For example, new washing detergent additives are now able to provide the same cleaning power at much lower temperatures, reducing overall energy consumption and benefiting the environment. What is good for the environment is also good for the companies behind these innovations. Weylchem International GmbH is the Fine Chemicals platform of International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG), a privately-owned industrial holding company. The WeylChem Group of Companies consists of twelve operating companies in five different countries across Europe and the US, and is a hidden champion in the high performance chemicals sector.

Saturated European markets, such as professional-use paint, are ripe for ‘disruptors’ to make an impact. French firm COMUS is one such disruptor, hiring Director Jean-Christophe Sueres in January of last year to lead the firm to growth in France and abroad. Nearly a year later, the firm is reshaping the paint industry by setting new standards and market entry points.

Dow combines one of the broadest technology sets in the industry with asset integration, focused innovation and global scale to achieve profitable growth and become the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company. Dow’s portfolio of performance materials, industrial intermediates and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth segments, such as packaging, infrastructure and consumer care. The group’s subsidiary Dow Silicones Belgium SPRL specializes in silicones. The multipurpose material is used in adhesives, detergents, sealants, high-performance building applications and cosmetic emulsions.

Boron is an important raw material in the glass industry, and new usages are continuously being discovered for boron products due to their unique, multi-functional and beneficial characteristics. With quality products, reliable delivery and a focus on its customers’ needs and requirements, AB Etiproducts Oy has become a preferred partner for customers in the Scandinavian and Baltic countries as well as Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova and the entire African continent. European Business talked to CEO Ali Sapmaz about current developments in the boron market and the benefits the company offers as the exclusive sales agent and distributor of Eti Maden IGM’s boron products.

From a small family company with six employees to one of the biggest and most successful players in the market; such an achievement requires very special qualities. The ability to provide unique, innovative solutions is essential, as is the willingness to take risks and meet challenges head on. Since its foundation in 1955, the Antwerp-based Wolf Oil Corporation NV has been characterized by innovation and the courage to seize opportunities to move in new directions. The Belgian producer of lubricants for the automotive sector specializes in blending top-quality oils for many different functions, which enhance engine performance and ensure a clean and safe environment.

As the bridge between manufacturers and customers, distributors in every industry have a key role to play. A good distributor is reliable, flexible and responsive. Some, however, are much more. In the chemical sector, British headquartered distributor Surfachem prides itself on supplying not just the right chemicals for its customers’ specific needs, but also on its ability to solve problems and create opportunities through its vast knowledge of the industry.

Its mission is summarized in two words: Yoki-Monozukuri. In Japanese, Yoki means ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, and Monozukuri stands for ‘development and manufacturing of products’. Tokyobased Kao Corporation is committed to providing products of excellent value, not only for consumer satisfaction, but for the wholehearted satisfaction and enrichment of the lives of people globally. European Business spoke to Herbert Tripp, President and CEO of Kao Chemicals GmbH, one of four production plants of Kao Chemicals Europe, about the group’s people-centered philosophy and how it is being implemented within the company.

When professional painters and decorators swear by a product, you can be sure that it keeps its promises. In the case of Zolpan SAS, a French manufacturer of interior and exterior paints, its promise to customers is encapsulated in the slogan ‘the expertise that changes everything’. For nearly 60 years, it has used its knowledge of paint formulations to create high-performance paints that are easy to apply and offer outstanding and lasting coverage. The latest addition to its extensive range continues a long tradition of innovation. ABYSS is the name it has given to a new paint intended for rooms with high humidity such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Colour is an essential ingredient of every product and can often be the deciding factor in its success or failure. If the way a product looks doesn’t appeal to the consumer, then they are less likely to make a positive purchasing decision. Color Project European is one of the world’s leading producers of colour samples and works with producers in the car, building and manufacturing industries to provide them with perfect reproductions of their original model colours. And there’s more to the process than meets the eye.