Type Private Website www.firmenich.com Revenue 3 billion CHF (2015) | Number of employees over 6,000 (2014) Founded 1895 | |
 | ||
Industry Flavors, Fragrance, Ingredient Key people Gilbert Ghostine (CEO),Yves Boisdron (Chairman), Patrick Firmenich (Vice Chairman) Products Flavors, Fragrance, Ingredient CEO Gilbert Ghostine (1 Oct 2014–) Parent organization Firmenich International SA | ||
Firmenich SA is a private Swiss company in the perfume and flavor business. It is the largest privately owned company in the field and ranks number two worldwide. Firmenich has created perfumes for over 100 years and produced a number of well-known flavors.
Contents
Firmenich employs 6,200 people in 63 countries. Major competitors include Givaudan, International Flavors and Fragrances, Frutarom and Symrise. It bought Noville in 2006 and in 2007 acquired Danisco's flavor division.
Firmenich at fi europe 2015
History
The company was founded as Chuit & Naef in 1895 in Geneva by chemist Philippe Chuit and businessman Martin Naef. Fred Firmenich joined in 1900 and later became the majority partner. The company was renamed Firmenich SA. Firmenich's board named Gilbert Ghostine as CEO to succeed Patrick Firmenich, effective October 1, 2014. Yves Boisdron was elected as chairman of Firmenich’s Board of Directors as of July 1, 2013.
Originally a fragrance company, Firmenich branched into the flavor business by creating a raspberry substitute in 1938, followed by creations of citrus and strawberry flavor. Other synthetic flavors followed for use in processed foods and preserved foods.
In 1939, Firmenich Director of Research and Development Lavoslav Ružička was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
On May 3, 2007, Firmenich announced that it would be acquiring the flavors division of Danisco in a deal worth €450 million. The deal was expected to move Firmenich ahead of IFF as the second largest flavor company in the world.