Evonik establishes independent carbon black company

Evonik Industries (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) is reorganizing its carbon black activities. On July 1, Evonik Carbon Black GmbH was founded as a legally independent management company under the umbrella of Evonik Industries.  Jack Clem is CEO and Rainer Wobbe will take over the position of the chief financial officer (CFO). The operational headquarters of the company, currently in Frankfurt, will move to Hanau-Wolfgang on October 1. Evonik produces carbon black at 17 sites in 12 countries on four continents. Having spun off the carbon black business, Evonik is currently examining three strategic options to develop its business further. The possibilities extend from optimization as an independent market unit, through a partnership solution, to sale of the business. One of these three options will be decided upon before the end of the second half of the year. Evonik Carbon Black GmbH is the world’s second-largest producer of carbon black. The products are used mainly as reinforcing fillers in the rubber industry (for tires and industrial rubber goods) and as pigment blacks in, for example, plastics, specialty coatings and colorants