The ALTANA Group develops and manufactures high-quality, innovative specialty chemical products. With us, you can help shape many important details of the world of the future. Our four divisions BYK, ECKART, ELANTAS, and ACTEGA have set worldwide standards in their markets.
Our innovative products enable companies to develop technologies of the future today, technologies that make life easier, safer, and more comfortable. With sales about 2.7 billion euros, we are one of the world‘s most innovative, fastest-growing, and most profitable chemical companies. We currently employ more than 6,700 people who have good ideas for the world of the future. You, too, can discover the special side of life with us. Bringing you many advantages.
To promote innovation, each year ALTANA presents the ALTANA Innovation Award for the best innovation in the company.
ALTANA’s specialty chemicals business is characterized by sustainable, above-average, continual sales and earnings growth. In the future, we will continue to pursue our growth strategy and steadily increase the value of our company through targeted acquisitions, ongoing high investments in innovations, and continual market penetration.
More than 6,500 people worldwide are currently behind the daily accomplishments of the ALTANA Group. In addition, the extremely low fluctuation of our staff of under one percent reflects our employees’ great loyalty to our company and their identification with its objectives and values.
Our four divisions have a leading position in their target markets with respect to quality, product solution expertise, innovation and service. The focus is on growing specialty markets.
Investments of about 7 % of sales in research and development as a growth engine and to prevent commoditization.
Appreciation, openness, empowerment to act, trust
With the WAI we continually collect data on occupational safety worldwide. Since we began our survey back in 2006, we have been able to gradually reduce our accident figures (for more, see Corporate Report 2021).
1873 Start of a successful career
The roots of ALTANA AG go back to 1873, when Dr. Heinrich Byk began producing chemicals. In 1941, Dr. Günther Quandt acquired a majority stake in what would later become BYK-Chemie.
Starting in 1977, the company became part of the newly founded ALTANA AG.
The name ALTANA represents an international specialty chemicals company consisting of the holding company ALTANA AG and four operating divisions.
ALTANA is a globally active specialty chemicals company with employees and sites around the world. Its global presence ensures customer proximity and a leading position in its target markets. ALTANA has a balanced regional distribution and a strong position in growth markets.
18,7% of our employees work in research and development.
147 young women and men completed training at ALTANA in 2021. Depending on the site, our companies offer various chemical, technical, and commercial apprenticeships.
In 2021, ALTANA generated sales of more than 2.7 billion euros.
As a globally operating corporation headquartered in Wesel, ALTANA achieves 89 % of its total sales internationally. ALTANA products are sold in over 100 countries worldwide.
7 % of sales: Investments in research and development.
Our R&D expenditure has tripled in the last ten years.
To promote innovation, each year ALTANA presents the ALTANA Innovation Award for the best innovation in the company.
ALTANA’s specialty chemicals business is characterized by sustainable, above-average, continual sales and earnings growth. In the future, we will continue to pursue our growth strategy and steadily increase the value of our company through targeted acquisitions, ongoing high investments in innovations, and continual market penetration.
More than 6,500 people worldwide are currently behind the daily accomplishments of the ALTANA Group. In addition, the extremely low fluctuation of our staff of under one percent reflects our employees’ great loyalty to our company and their identification with its objectives and values.
Our four divisions have a leading position in their target markets with respect to quality, product solution expertise, innovation and service. The focus is on growing specialty markets.
Investments of about 7 % of sales in research and development as a growth engine and to prevent commoditization.
Appreciation, openness, empowerment to act, trust
With the WAI we continually collect data on occupational safety worldwide. Since we began our survey back in 2006, we have been able to gradually reduce our accident figures (for more, see Corporate Report 2021).
1873 Start of a successful career
The roots of ALTANA AG go back to 1873, when Dr. Heinrich Byk began producing chemicals. In 1941, Dr. Günther Quandt acquired a majority stake in what would later become BYK-Chemie.
Starting in 1977, the company became part of the newly founded ALTANA AG.
The name ALTANA represents an international specialty chemicals company consisting of the holding company ALTANA AG and four operating divisions.
ALTANA is a globally active specialty chemicals company with employees and sites around the world. Its global presence ensures customer proximity and a leading position in its target markets. ALTANA has a balanced regional distribution and a strong position in growth markets.
18,7% of our employees work in research and development.
147 young women and men completed training at ALTANA in 2021. Depending on the site, our companies offer various chemical, technical, and commercial apprenticeships.
In 2021, ALTANA generated sales of more than 2.7 billion euros.
As a globally operating corporation headquartered in Wesel, ALTANA achieves 89 % of its total sales internationally. ALTANA products are sold in over 100 countries worldwide.
7 % of sales: Investments in research and development.
Our R&D expenditure has tripled in the last ten years.
Our employees are our most important capital. At present, around 6,700 people are behind the ALTANA Group’s daily accomplishments. ALTANA is represented in 25 countries, giving rise to a varied and diversified work environment in which each employee can unfold his or her full potential in an innovative and modern setting. ALTANA’s companies are represented on four continents. This means that with our products and services we are in close proximity to our customers. But we view our closeness to customers as going beyond proximity. Due to the fact that key positions are occupied locally we speak the language of our customers and can react to their individual wishes better and faster.
Against this backdrop, deployments abroad are becoming more and more important for ALTANA. An exchange of best practices, reciprocal learning, and cross-divisional imparting of knowledge between different companies, countries, and areas of activity are important for the development of our global company.
Qualified employees are the basis for ALTANA’s continuous growth. However, demographic changes and the threatening dearth of qualified employees will pose special challenges in the future. Against this backdrop, ALTANA’s Management Board has set ambitious targets: By 2020, 70 percent of all open management positions should be filled internally. Furthermore, by 2025 the company’s management teams should reflect ALTANA’s internationalism as well as the share of women in the total workforce.
Fostering diversity is firmly anchored in our human resource management. One main focus is the promotion of women. In ALTANA’s national and international management development programs, the proportion of women has increased significantly in recent years. Moreover, our further training program includes special offers for women.
Starting with our choice of employees, we make a concerted effort to attract people whose knowledge and abilities, as well as technical and social skills, match our group.
We want to achieve equal opportunity for all and mobilize people in order to fully tap our potential.
ALTANA consistently gears its activities to sustained profitable growth. But we can only achieve economic success in the long run if we also bear in mind ecological and social aspects and anchor them firmly in our company.
Our understanding of sustainability as a triad of economy, ecology, and corporate social responsibility is also reflected in ALTANA’s mission.
As a focused specialty chemicals company, ALTANA offers its customers highly specialized technological solutions in niche markets. Due to this business model, innovation is an important element of the company’s corporate strategy. Unlike a discovery or an invention, however, an innovation is marked by the fact that the knowledge generated creates value or benefits for our customers and for ALTANA. With the innovation, therefore, knowledge is converted into value or benefits.
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Our employees are our most important capital. At present, around 6,700 people are behind the ALTANA Group’s daily accomplishments. ALTANA is represented in 25 countries, giving rise to a varied and diversified work environment in which each employee can unfold his or her full potential in an innovative and modern setting. ALTANA’s companies are represented on four continents. This means that with our products and services we are in close proximity to our customers. But we view our closeness to customers as going beyond proximity. Due to the fact that key positions are occupied locally we speak the language of our customers and can react to their individual wishes better and faster.
Against this backdrop, deployments abroad are becoming more and more important for ALTANA. An exchange of best practices, reciprocal learning, and cross-divisional imparting of knowledge between different companies, countries, and areas of activity are important for the development of our global company.
Qualified employees are the basis for ALTANA’s continuous growth. However, demographic changes and the threatening dearth of qualified employees will pose special challenges in the future. Against this backdrop, ALTANA’s Management Board has set ambitious targets: By 2020, 70 percent of all open management positions should be filled internally. Furthermore, by 2025 the company’s management teams should reflect ALTANA’s internationalism as well as the share of women in the total workforce.
Fostering diversity is firmly anchored in our human resource management. One main focus is the promotion of women. In ALTANA’s national and international management development programs, the proportion of women has increased significantly in recent years. Moreover, our further training program includes special offers for women.
Starting with our choice of employees, we make a concerted effort to attract people whose knowledge and abilities, as well as technical and social skills, match our group.
We want to achieve equal opportunity for all and mobilize people in order to fully tap our potential.
ALTANA consistently gears its activities to sustained profitable growth. But we can only achieve economic success in the long run if we also bear in mind ecological and social aspects and anchor them firmly in our company.
Our understanding of sustainability as a triad of economy, ecology, and corporate social responsibility is also reflected in ALTANA’s mission.
As a focused specialty chemicals company, ALTANA offers its customers highly specialized technological solutions in niche markets. Due to this business model, innovation is an important element of the company’s corporate strategy. Unlike a discovery or an invention, however, an innovation is marked by the fact that the knowledge generated creates value or benefits for our customers and for ALTANA. With the innovation, therefore, knowledge is converted into value or benefits.
Discover more