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MilestonesMilestones


1928National Aluminate Corporation, which four years later adopts the trade name “Nalco”, is incorporated in Illinois on May 1. The company results from the union of two companieswith Chicago roots: Chicago Chemical Company and Aluminate Sales Corporation.

Chicago Chemical, founded in 1920 by Herb A. Kern and Dr. Frederick Salathé, Sr., markets Colline, a water softener developed by Salathé. The company also markets Kern's Water Softener, or "K.W.S." Company headquarters, built in 1925, is located in a section of southeast Chicago known as the Clearing Industrial District.

Aluminate Sales, founded in 1922 by P. Wilson Evans, sells sodium aluminate, a water treatment for industrial boiler systems, primarily to meat packing companies and railroads.

Innovation On-Site ServiceCorporate Citizenship

1920s

1929Nalco produces the "Laundry Maid" portable water softener, developed by Emmett J. Culligan, a prominent scientist in the field of water treatment.

Herb A. Kern

P. Wilson Evans

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1932National Aluminate registers the trade name Nalco, a contraction of the company's existing name, but also the chemical nomenclature for sodium (Na) and aluminum (AL).

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1942Nalco revives the Chicago Chemical Company to accept war-related contracts for fluid catalyst production. The plant begins operations one year later and runs at maximum capacity of 15 tons per day through the end of the war. The plant continues to operate as the Catalyst Division during the post-war era.

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1947Nalco produces its first annual report, followed one month later by its first public stock offering. The Nalco work force now stands at over 500, 100 of whom are field employees dedicated to on-site service for customers.

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1955Chemical and Engineering News recognizes Nalco's profit sharing stock plan as one of the foremost in the chemical industry.

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1959National Aluminate Corporation officially becomes Nalco Chemical Company.

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1964Nalco first lists on the New York Stock Exchange on October 5 as NLC.

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1966Total sales surpass the $100 million mark.

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1978With the aim of improving computer services for researchers, Nalco launches an Information Systems Department. In the coming years, the OASIS project (Operating and Supporting Information Systems) would develop in-house systems for on-line order entry, invoicing inventory control and customer applications.

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1986Nalco consolidates groups from the Energy Chemicals Division and Oil Field Services Division to form a new Petroleum Chemicals Division to be headquartered in Sugar Land. The new Petroleum Chemicals Division will include Visco Chemicals, Refinery Process Chemicals, Additives, Adomite Chemicals and Gas and Oil Handling Chemicals Groups.

1983Nalco breaks ground for a new 300,000-square-foot trio of headquarters buildings in Naperville, representing an investment totaling $90 million.

1982ORS-419 is used in the tires of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The Nalco product is the only non-silicone product of its type on the market approved by the space shuttle tire's manufacturer.

1989Sales top $1 billion.

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1998Nalco reports that 1997 was a record-setting year for sales and earnings, rising 10 percent to $1.43 billion, with improvements reported by all divisions.

1994Combining the best of both companies, Nalco and Exxon Chemical Company announce the formation of Nalco/Exxon Energy Chemicals, L.P. to provide products and services to all facets of the petroleum and natural gas industries.

1999On June 27, Nalco enters into merger agreement with Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux, a $32 billion company with more than 200,000 employees worldwide. The move also integrates Suez Lyonnaise's existing water treatment group, Aquazur and Calgon Corporation, into existing Nalco operations to create "the new Nalco."

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2001Nalco is renamed Ondeo Nalco, reflecting a new identity as a member of the Ondeo family of water-related businesses of Suez. The Ondeo family also includes Ondeo Services, Ondeo Degremont, and Ondeo Industrial Services.

Ondeo Nalco strengthens its leadership role in the petroleum industry as Nalco/Exxon Energy Chemicals, L.P. (NEEC) becomes part of the company through redemption of Exxon Mobil stock in the joint venture. NEEC generates $500 million in annual sales through its 1,800 sales people, engineers and other employees.

2003USFilter and Ondeo Nalco enter into a strategic partnership providing equipment, chemicals and service to industrial customers.

The Blackstone Group, Apollo Management L. P. and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners buy Ondeo Nalco.

Nalco Company, a recognized symbol of strength around the world, unveils new logo.

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2004Nalco returns to trading on the New York Stock Exchange under its old NLC ticker symbol following an Initial Public Offering on November 11, 2004.

Nalco’s global sales exceed $3 billion for the first time in company history.


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GlobalizationGlobalization

1931National Aluminate and Aluminum Company Ltd. of Canada agree to form Afloc Limited, an English subsidiary authorized to develop business anywhere outside North America.

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1940s


1946Nalco expands business in Europe, treating railroad steam engines during post World War II reconstruction.

1948Aluminate Chemicals Ltd (Canada changes its name to Alchem Ltd.)

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1950Realizing that foreign nations lag behind America in the conversion from steam to diesel locomotives, Nalco exploits the great potential to sell boiler treatments abroad by forming an Overseas Division.

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1951With the establishment of Nalco Italiana, Nalco becomes one of the first American companies to establish manufacturing operations in Italy. The move allows the company to take advantage of the Italian government's incentives to spur industrial recovery in the country.

1954Nalco forms a wholly owned German subsidiary, Deutsche Nalco Chemie G.m.b.H., and opens a sales office in Frankfurt. Nalco products had been sold through distributorships in Germany since 1948.

1959Nalco forms Nalco de Mexico, S.A., headquartered in Mexico City. A major share of the business will service Pemex, Mexico's national oil industry.


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1962

Nalco and Imperial Chemical Industries of Australia and New Zealand (ICIANZ) join forces to manufacture petroleum cracking catalysts in Australia. The new venture will eventually be named Catoleum Pty. Ltd.

1965South American demand grows so fast that the International Division establishes Quimica Nacional Aluminata de Colombia, S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary.

1967 Nalco acquires The Alexander Martin Corporation Limited of Johannesburg, which since 1961 had been its distributor in South Africa. In 1968, the name changed to Anikem (Proprietary) Limited.

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1970Nalco forms Nalco Produtos Quimicos Limitada, headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to serve markets in Latin America. .

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1978Nalco forms Quimicos Productos de Chile to serve the water treatment and process needs of the mining and other industries of Chile.

1979 By 1979, Nalco's list of worldwide companies includes substantial locations in Europe, Mexico, South America, South Africa and Japan. Additions to a list published in marketing materials for the year include Nalco Saudi Co., Ltd.; Soumen Nalco OY of Finland; Nalco-Tairen Chemical Co., Ltd. of Taiwan; Nalco Portuguesa (Quimica Industrial), Limitada of Portugal; and Nalco Chemical of Sweden.

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1981Nalco forms the subsidiary Nalco Chemical (H.K.) Ltd. in Hong Kong. The company is responsible for Nalco business in Hong Kong and The People's Republic of China.

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1987International Operations becomes Nalco's largest operating unit, contributing 40 percent of total revenues.

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1991Nalco forms subsidiaries in Turkey, Malaysia and Hungary. In the next two years, subsidiaries are added in Egypt, Czechoslovakia and Poland.

Nalco acquires ICI's interest in three international wholly owned subsidiaries: Catoleum in Australia and New Zealand, Alchem in Canada and Nalfloc in the U.K. Project Reunion seamlessly integrates 1,000 experienced employees into the Nalco workforce.

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1994Nalco opens the Nalco Pacific Applications Center, a business and technical center in Singapore, to support growth in the Pacific Rim.

In a move that consolidates European manufacturing and distribution, Nalco opens the European Business and Technical Center in the Netherlands, allowing the company to cut costs and take advantage of new economic freedoms offered by the European Union.

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2004Nalco’s Adomite group enters Russian exploration and drilling market maintaining its competitive advantage in a market which has grown strong double-digit rates the last several years.

The Finnish Government’s strategic commitment to the paper industry paves the way for Nalco’s Papermaking Center of Excellence in Espoo, Finland. Grand opening ceremony held in May.


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InnovationInnovation

1928Early on, National Aluminate stresses the concept of technical selling, employing a technical sales force able to discuss a customer's business, industrial and chemical needs.

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1929National Aluminate capitalizes Visco Products Company, a Texas venture, to exploit Visco's patent on Mud-It. The sodium aluminate-based product conditions the mud through which oil workers drill.

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1937Nalco produces the "Laundry Maid" portable water softener, developed by Emmett J. Culligan, a prominent scientist in the field of water treatment.

1934A Nalco chemist discovers that Nalco No. 8—an organic stabilizer designed to prevent scale and corrosion in boiler systems—keeps car radiators clean and reduces corrosion. Soon, General Motors puts PH7, its new product based on Nalco No. 8, into every Cadillac and LaSalle manufactured and the product is available at Sears and Pure Oil Company filling stations.

1931All Nalco divisions began using the Paige-Jones chemical company ball briquette format for delivering chemicals.


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1943Nalco and Dow Chemical Company begin joint research on ion exchange resins. Nalco invents and markets NALCITE® HCR, a synthetic resin. Dow develops Dowex®, its own high capacity resin. Both represent significant advances over prior products.

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1942Nalco’s sodium aluminate and zeolite/ion exchange technology offers insight into making catalysts for high-octane aviation gasoline.

1949

As railroads switch from steam engines to diesel power Nalco develops new products-combustion catalysts, cooling system treatments and fuel oil additives. These products created opportunities in larger industrial markets.

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1954Nalco serves as a consultant to Westinghouse on the creation of the US’s first atomic power plant in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. Nalco's broad experience in water technology provides an important contribution to the success of nuclear power development.


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1962New and advanced polymer technology played an important role in helping Nalco maintain leadership in water chemistry and point the way in waste treatment and pollution control..


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1973 After Apollo 17's moon buggy experienced a severe dust problem on its drive across the lunar surface, adjustments were made to the vehicle, including specially made "fender skirts." The skirts are made by a paper mill in Germany using NALCO 623®, a retention and drainage aid.


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1984Nalco introduces the PORTA-FEED® reusable container system, the most advanced liquid chemical handling system yet introduced.


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1998STA•BR•EX™, the world's first liquid bromine biocide, is chosen as one of the year's most technologically significant products by R&D Magazine. STA•BR•EX™ is also the first industrial biocide modeled after naturally occurring antimicrobials.


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2003Energy Services introduces FREEFLOW® AA, formulated to help customers lower hydrate control costs, save time and space associated with logistics and product storage, reduce capital and maintenance expenses and eliminate crude quality issues associated with use the methanol for hydrate control.

2004Nalco announces 3D TRASAR®, the most comprehensive approach to cooling system management available. It provides the ability to monitor and control water cooling systems in real time, keeping these vital systems operating at peak efficiency regardless of demands.


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On-Site ServiceOn-Site Service

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Milestones InnovationGlobalization On-Site ServiceOn-Site ServiceCorporate Citizenship

1928National Aluminate stresses the concept of technical selling, employing a salesforce able to discuss a customer’s total business, industrial and chemical needs.

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1936One of Nalco's technical salespeople inaugurates a trend that will distinguish the company well into the future, spending two weeks at a Mexican site testing a Nalco treatment under way on the National Railway of Mexico.


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1940On-site service sometimes ran into wartime security. One power plant invited a Nalco rep to analyze its feed water, but regulations wouldn’t let the rep enter the plant without clearance from headquarters. He instructed the plant manager on how to draw samples and did the on-site analysis on the sidewalk in front of the plant, winning a new regular customer for Nalco.1944Brigadier General J.S. Bragdon, Chief of the Military Construction Division, praises a Nalco program establishing and developing boiler water treatment programs at all Army posts throughout the continental United States.

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1951Despite the Caw River's flood of Kansas City, two Nalco employees travel by car and later by boat to Armour and Company and Swift and Company to solve resulting boiler problems.

1959In conjunction with Visco, the Petroleum Extension Service of the University of Texas prepares "Treating Oilfield Emulsions," a 25-minute educational film on producing "clean" oil. The film is used to train new Visco salesmen and is available to the oil industry for meetings, training and safety programs.

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1950Nalco sales representatives help several Pittsburgh area steel mills continue to operate by switching to zeolite when a strike blocks access to the soda ash normally used to soften river water used in their boilers. The round-the-clock work by Nalco sales representatives impresses other mill operators who ask Nalco to take over their water treatment operations.

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1960One of many technical professionals dedicated to meeting the needs of customers in the field, a Nalco salesman services the deepest oil well in the world using emulsion breaker 256, learning from first-hand experience that the product "seems to be the only thing that will treat the peculiar acting oil that comes from that depth."

1965Nalco’s Mobile ChemVans travel to customer facilities for on-site analysis of wastewater streams.

1968Nalco's new fleet of airplanes increases flexibility and effectiveness in customer service, further facilitating on-site visits in remote areas by Nalco's technical sales force.



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1974The Bulk Inventory Control Program, a Nalco innovation in on-site customer service, gives customers tailor-made delivery of chemicals. The program includes five specially equipped trucks located at Nalco facilities around the country.

1977The Nalco Mobile Laboratory goes on the road in May, aiding the salespeople of Districts 17 and 21 by on-site testing at several oil refineries. Known as "The Van," the laboratory has the chemicals, apparatus and instruments necessary to run a battery of tests on cooling water, boiler water and waste water.

1978The Nalco marketing staff creates the Boiler Water System Control Program (BWSCP) to fill the needs of both Nalco customers and sales people. BWSCP stresses the importance of the boiler operator's role in making the system work and teaches operators the basics of boiler operation and related systems.



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1998Improvements made to the cooling system by Nalco's On Site Experts at one Latin American steel mill lengthened the time between maintenance shutdowns of their iron pellet furnace, allowing the mill to produce an additional $3 million worth of pellets.



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2001In a ceremony held at the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce Ondeo Nalco Saudi Arabia receives the Supplier Recognition Award distinguishing the excellent delivery performance and support of customer operations during previous two years.

2004The prestigious VCA (Dutch for “Safety Certificate for Contractors”) is presented to Nalco teams in Netherlands and Belgium. Developed in the 1990s by the Dutch petrochemical industry as a uniform and objective safety management system for contractors, VCA is the only acceptable proof of safety culture recognized by customers in those countries.

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2004

Nalco forms an alliance with JohnsonDiversey, a global leader in cleaning and hygiene solutions, to provide customers in targeted industries with a total-site program to better manage key resources such as water, energy and waste.

2005The Strategic Account Management Association gives Nalco its 2005 Key Account Management Program of the Year Award "because of Nalco's relentless drive to produce significant bottom-line results not only for their customers, but for their own firm."

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Corporate CitizenshipCorporate Citizenship

1930National Aluminate's Board approves the first of many contributions to the Joint Emergency Relief Fund of Cook County, Illinois, an agency aiding those left unemployed by the Depression.

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1944Aetna creates a retirement annuity plan for Nalco U.S. employees, with costs paid by the company. Nalco also becomes one of the first companies to offer paid sick days, vacations with pay, an annual bonus and group life insurance.

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1953After twenty-five years of supporting local charities, Nalco formally establishes a program for philanthropic giving with the creation of The Nalco Foundation. The Foundation began with a donation of 3,300 shares of Nalco stock, with the intent that dividends and profits from those shares would be distributed to charitable organizations.

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1956Nalco founder Herbert Kern and Emmett Culligan found The Resources Foundation of America to promote deep-well drilling into aquifers in places where people need water.

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1963More than 150 Chicago-area employees contribute to "Christmas is for Kids," an annual funds drive supporting over forty charities.

1965Nalco holds an exhibit at the first International Water Quality Exposition in Washington, DC. The symposium is the first concerted combined effort of the water conditioning industry to show how it meets the world's need for adequate supplies of quality water.

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1970Nalco develops Material Safety Data Sheets to provide customers with handling information for hazardous substances.

1976Nalco establishes an Environmental, Health and Safety Department to manage and coordinate environmental compliance to ensure employee and public health and improve worker safety.

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1985A Plant Operations Review Team (P.O.R.T.) evaluates safety procedures at 54 Nalco facilities around the world. Over a six-month period, the team spends the equivalent of six full work years and travels 400,000 miles to study and improve Nalco safety practices.

Nalco leads the chemical industry in the development of CAER (Community Awareness and Emergency Response), a forerunner of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 and the CMA Responsible Care® initiative.

The Board of the Nalco Foundation approves a series of grants aimed at improving conditions in South Africa, including one for the U.S. Committee for the Friends of Baragwanath, Inc. The committee supports health care education in South Africa.1987Nalco launches the Science is Fun program, an education initiative designed to introduce students around the globe to the wonders of science. The program focuses on the incredible things a scientist sees, while offering practical advice for future professionals in the field.

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1993The Nalco Foundation celebrates its 40th anniversary. Total grants average $875,000 per year, for a total of $35 million, during the Foundation's first 40 years. The Foundation supports a number of well-known charitable organizations—at local as well as national levels—such as Habitat for Humanity, Literacy Volunteers of America, and Christmas in April.

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2001Contributions from Nalco employees all over the world, in addition to a grant provided by The Nalco Foundation, were sent to The American Red Cross for earthquake relief in Gujurat, India.

2005Nalco employees generously respond to a matching grant program to aid those affected by the Southeast Asia tsunami. Employee donations total $116,000 and are matched by the Nalco Foundation for a total of $232,000 in relief funds.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita strike the U.S. Gulf Coast affecting several Nalco plants and hundreds of Nalco employees. Nalco establishes a Disaster Relief Fund to aid the hardest hit employees. Globally Nalco employees contribute nearly $80,000 and combined with a 2 for 1 Company match, grants totaling more than $236,000 are distributed to employees. In addition, employees donated more than $40,000 to the American Red Cross, which was matched 1 to 1 by the Nalco Foundation for an additional $80,000 in general hurricane relief.

Nalco’s Energy Services Division forms NEMA (Nalco Emergency Management Agency) donating personal time and resources to help colleagues and neighbors rebuild their homes, destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina & Rita.


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