Industry Chemie Website byk.com Type of business GmbH | Revenue 857 Mio. € Headquarters Wesel | |
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BYK Additives & Instruments is a globally operating supplier of additives and measuring instruments.
Contents
The areas of application of BYK additives include the coatings, inks and plastics industries, oil and gas production, the manufacture of care products, the manufacture of adhesives and sealants, and construction chemistry. The instruments section (BYK-Gardner GmbH) develops measuring instruments for evaluating the color, appearance and physical properties of coatings, plastics and paper surfaces. BYK is one of four Divisions within the ALTANA Group.
BYK Additives & Instruments employs around 2,000 people worldwide, approx. 900 of whom work in Wesel. In 2015, according to company figures, sales totaled 870 million euros. Around 89% of sales are generated abroad, particularly in neighboring European countries, the USA and the Asian market.
History
In 1873 Heinrich Byk founded a chemicals factory in Berlin under his name, in which he initially produced soporific drugs. In 1917 the firm merged with the dye and tanning works to form Byk-Guldenwerke AG; the photochemical factory Ernst Lomberg was acquired subsequently. The first BYK additive for coatings came on the market in 1935. It enabled pigments to be distributed evenly in coatings. In 1962 BYK established the site in Wesel, where it commenced production of paint and plastics additives. The company of BYK also has production sites in Kempen, Schkopau and Moosburg an der Isar (Germany), Deventer, Denekamp and Nijverdal (Netherlands), Widnes (UK), Wallingford, Chester, Gonzales, Louisville and Rochester Hills (USA) and Tongling (China). BYK’s instruments section (BYK-Gardner GmbH) is based in the Upper Bavarian town of Geretsried.
Research and development
BYK invests around 8% of turnover each year in research and development – this is more than double the amount customary in the sector.