•
1936
The company HOLZVERZUCKERUNGS AG
(HOVAG) is founded, based in Zurich (CH), in
order to manufacture ethyl alcohol, (an alternative fuel for
motor vehicles) from wood.
•
1942
Start of ethyl alcohol production from local waste wood in Domat/Ems.
By the end of the war, production from the HOVAG
covered around 30% of the Swiss fuel requirements. With nearly
200 employees, HOVAG is by far the largest
employer in the mountain Canton Grisons (CH).
•
1947
Foundation of the INVENTA AG for research and
patent applications.
•
1951
The HOVAG starts to produce Caprolactam. The
FIBRON AG, a subsidiary of the HOVAG
founded in 1949, manufactures polyamide plastic materials and
polyamide fibres in Domat/ Ems and markets
these. .
• 1952
Socks made of Grilon® fibres become the
trade mark of the HOVAG in Switzerland. They
are of high quality and long lasting.
•
1954
INVENTA AG licences the procedure, developed
in Domat/ Ems, for the production of caprolactam,
the raw material for the plastic material polyamide, to the
Japanese company UBE Industries.
Following this, INVENTA AG constructs more
than 300 production plants for Caprolactam, engineering plastics
and synthetic fibres throughout the world. More than 60 of these
plants were built in China alone.
•
1956
The Swiss citizens voted against continued subventioned purchase
of alcohol as an alternative fuel by the state. Following this,
the HOVAG stopped production of alcohol and
concentrated on Grilon® fibres and Grilon®
engineering plastics.
With the foundation of GRILON & Plastics Machinery
Ltd. in Dover (UK), EMS opened the
first sales company abroad, today called EMS-CHEMIE
(UK) Ltd., and located in Stafford.
•
1960
The HOLZVERZUCKERUNGS AG (HOVAG) is renamed
EMSER WERKE AG.
• 1962
The CHEMIE HOLDING EMS AG based in Domat/
Ems is founded.
• 1963
Expansion of the sales assortment with Grilonit®
Epoxy Resins manufactured in Domat/ Ems for
the construction and paint industry.
•
1964
Production of Grilene® polyester fibres
for the textile industry is started in Domat/ Ems.
Inauguration and start-up of the first application development
centre for thermoplastic materials and epoxy resins in Domat/
Ems.
•
1966
First production of Grilamid® polyamide
12 and Grilon® co-polyamide in Domat/
Ems for the manufacture of plastic pipes and packaging
films.
• 1967
Manufacture of Griltex® co-polyamide fusible
adhesive powder for coating of textile interlinings for the
apparel industry. Bonding instead of sewing completely rationalised
clothing industry processes.
•
1970
Unprofitable production of Caprolactam in Domat/ Ems
are stopped and both are purchased from external sources.
•
1977
Inauguration of the sales company in Japan, now EMS-CHEMIE
(Japan) Ltd., in Tokyo.
•
1978
The different EMSER companies are consolidated under the roof
of the CHEMIE HOLDING EMS AG.
Opening of the sales company Germany in Cologne, today EMS-CHEMIE
(Deutschland) GmbH, Gross-Umstadt, and the sales company France
in Paris, today EMS-CHEMIE (France) S.A., Boulogne.
•
1980
Focus on growth with engineering plastics and begins to phase-out
textile fibres.
Start of industrial-scale production of Grilesta®
polyester resins in Domat/ Ems for the manufacture
of powder-coatings for coating metal.
•
1981
The Chemie Holding Ems AG is renamed EMS-CHEMIE HOLDING
AG. The EMSER WERKE AG in Domat/ Ems
becomes the EMS-CHEMIE AG.
EMS is the umbrella brand for
all companies.
•
1982
EMS starts production of polyamide materials
in Sumter / South Carolina (USA), today EMS-CHEMIE
(North America) Inc.
•
1985
Purchase of the TOGO-Group based in Romanshorn
(CH). The group, renamed EMS-TOGO, specialises
in process materials for bonding, coating and sealing for the
automotive industry worldwide.
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•
1988
EMS-TOGO opens a production site in Zaragoza,
Spain in order to supply the Spanish automotive industry.
EMS transfers sales of fertilisers to the LINTAFERT
Company in Linz (Austria) and concentrates on the three business
areas
• Performance polymers
• Fine Chemicals
• Engineering
•
1989
Purchase of the Illing GmbH in Gross-Umstadt, Germany, which
owns the rights to a special process for polymerisation and
compounding. The production site for polyamide injection-moulding
grades in Gross-Umstadt is later given the current name EMS-CHEMIE
(Deutschland) GmbH.
EMS FAR-EASTERN is founded in Taiwan and the
production of performance polymers started in Hsin Chu Hsien
(Taiwan). This is now EMS-CHEMIE (Asia)
Ltd.
•
1990
Under the product name Primid® EMS introduces
a weathering-resistant hardener for powder-coatings, which is
environmentally-compatible and protected by patents.
EMS then goes on to become world market leader with
this product.
The construction of a new application development centre for
engineering plastics in Domat/ Ems forms a
further milestone in the promotion of performance polymers,
which helps EMS become unique in this field.
With Grivory® GV, EMS launches a new generation
of super-stiff polyamides, thus ringing in the era of metal
replacement.
• 1992
EMS safeguards supply of the key raw material
laurolactam for the production of Grilamid® PA12
by forming the production joint-venture EMS-UBE
in Japan.
Together with customers, suppliers, employees and official representatives,
EMS-CHEMIE AG celebrates its 50th anniversary
as an independent Swiss company.
•
1995
EMS becomes market leader for flexible glasses
frames and sunglasses lenses with the transparent polyamide
Grilamid® TR.
•
1996
During streamlining of the product assortment, EMS
phases-out Grilesta® polyester resins for
powder-coatings and sells the business to the UCB
company in Belgium.
•
1998
EMS becomes market leader with Grilbond®
bonding agent. This product guarantees reliable bonding
of polyester fibre reinforcement and rubber in car tyres, drive
belts and conveyor belts.
• 2000
The activities of the business unit EMS-CHEMIE
are divided into 4 independent business units:
• EMS-GRIVORY (engineering plastics)
• EMS-GRILTECH (technical fibres and
adhesives)
• EMS-PRIMID (thermoset materials)
• EMS-SERVICES (central services, production
site Domat/ Ems)
EMS starts production in the first and currently
only production plant for high-temperature polyamides in Europe.
These products are sold under the trade name Grivory®
HT and are used in high-temperature applications. Within
a very short time EMS becomes market leader
in Europe.
Production of polyester fibres Grilene®
is stopped and all know-how sold to the Montefibre Company,
Milan (Italy).
•
2004
In order to further support the focus on performance polymers,
the existing business unit EMS-GRIVORY, which
concentrates on thermoplastic polyamide materials, is divided
into four independent business units, each responsible for its
own business results:
• EMS-GRIVORY Performance Polymers (injection
moulding Europe)
• EMS-GRIVORY Extrusion Polymers (extrusion
Europe)
• EMS-GRIVORY America
• EMS-GRIVORY Asia
The EMS Group sells the business unit INVENTA-FISCHER
to the German plant construction company UHDE.
The business areas fine chemicals and engineering are merged.
•
2005
In order to be represented locally in the polyamide sector,
EMS founds the company EMS-CHEMIE
(China) Ltd. based in Shanghai.
•
2006
Start-up of the biomass power plant TEGRA on the production
site in Domat/ Ems. The biomass power plant
provides an alternative energy source for EMS
replacing fossil fuels with the wood pellet burning TEGRA plant
for generation of steam. This allows EMS to reduce up to two-thirds
of the CO2 emission on the production site in Domat/
Ems.
•
2007
EMS focuses increasingly on its core business
and sells the deflashing agent business - previously conducted
under the name EMSODUR - at the end of February.
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