After the merger the company will be named “HuntsmanClariant” and is estimated to generate revenue of approximately US$ 13.2 billion. The shareholder value of the new company is projected at US$ 20 billion. Clariant will hold 52% of shares, while Huntsman will hold 48%. Similarly, the management of HuntsmanClariant will be split: The current Clariant CEO Hariolf Kottmann is the designated president of the future administrative board. And Peter Huntsman, currently both the president of the administrative board and the CEO of Huntsman, will become the operational manager of the company. The family shareholders of Clariant and Huntsman support the merger. The deal was signed in mid-May.

Merging to gain millions

During the presentation of their concept both Kottman and Huntsman highlighted the mutual trust the merger is based upon. Kottmann says he’d met Huntsman 2009 for the first time. Since then and over the course of many conversations they developed an open and trusting friendship. Both companies are confident the authorities will give the “go-ahead” soon, and that the merger will be accomplished before the end of the year. They estimate that the merger will garner them more than US$ 400 million annually, more growth for the key markets of the US and China, and more innovations as well.

Bioethanol made of agricultural residues

The headquarters of Huntsman is located in The Woodlands in Texas. The company employs 15,000 people worldwide and is maintaining a technology-specific research centre in Belgium. Independently of each other both Clariant and Huntsman have started several initiatives related to bio-based chemicals over the recent years. For instance, Clariant developed the Sunliquid- procedure that converts agricultural residues into ethanol until market maturity. Located in Straubing in Bavaria Clariant is maintaining a biorefinery demonstration plant that uses wheat straw to produce biofuel. The Clariant Biotech Centre on the other hand is located in Planegg near Munich.

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