A rose by any other name: From pig bristles to cysteine to pizza dough, the world of fine and specialty chemicals becomes biotransformation technology and soars into profitability.

It's a trend that's taking root: chemical companies are spinning off their fine chemicals segments and relaunching them as "bio" companies. And the trend is making profits soar. Case in point, the German chemical company Wacker Chemie, which is  relaunching its fine chemicals division as Wacker Biosolutions. By pulling together and colocating the company's more esoteric chemical formulations, like carmine's origins from the insect Dactylopus coccus or the amino acid cysteine from pig bristles, etc., and then putting a "bio" banner above them all has had a profound effect on the marketplace. It focuses attention, says Wacker Chief Executive Officer Rudolf Staudigl, on the "products on the food industry and life sciences segment. We already have a leading position, and we want to expand our strong position.” He added that he expects next year's sales “to grow at a double-digit rate.”

Best-in-Class Specialty and Fine Chemicals feature:

• Comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) regulations
• Temperature-controlled, spill-damage avoidance, and highly sanitiary warehousing, storage, and delivery services.
• Small and large sample fulfillment and repackaging

Top Considerations Before Buying: Specialty and Fine Chemicals

Quality of end product is critical. Therefore, ensure that fine and specialty chemicals are produced to exacting specifications and regulated, while manufacture takes place in multipurpose plants by multi-step, batch chemical and biotech processing standards and techniques.

Key Producers:

1. OctoChem, Inc. works with its chemical customers as a marketing services provider that offers sample fulfillment for chemical, biological and hazardous materials. In conjunction with its sample fulfillment offering the company provides comprehensive reporting for lead generation and follow-up. The company accommodates both small and large sample fulfillment needs, repackaging chemical, cosmetic, or food grade samples in a cost-effective manner. Octochem's product literature claims "it puts your product into the customer's hands at the right time, in the right quantity, with the right information, anywhere in the world...to showcase your product and demonstrate quality where it counts-in your customer's laboratory." The company offers four basic services: HyperChem, which is the sample packaging and distribution services; e-Samples, secure web-based sample requests; e-Report, secure web board for daily reporting; and SPEED 2000 for small quantity packaging, order processing and shipping.

2. Offering fine and specialty chemicals and chemical related consulting services since 1983, Iofina Chemical, Inc. (Formerly H&S Chemical) focuses its expertise in formulating and manufacturing fluorinated, chlorinated and iodinated compounds. Although the company's specialties are limited, the uses and applications for its formulations and compounds are expansive, especially in industries like dairy, food service, coatings, pharmaceuticals, and computer chip manufacture. The company is a pioneer in the synthesis of chemicals for the disinfection, sanitization, and specialty chemical markets and a world leader in iodine chemistry. Iofina's parent company, Iofina plc, a United Kingdom-based company, actively engages in the exploration for, and development of, natural gas and associated iodine, where its proprietary Wellhead Extraction Technology (WET) extracts iodine from brine water at gas wellheads. Iofina Chemical's products include Chloramine-T, Trichloro-melamine, Methyl Fluoride, Hydriodic Acid, Methyl Iodide, and other specialty Iodides.

3. Gehring-Montgomery, Inc. (founded in 1984 and now part of a German-based chemical trading and distribution company, Ter Hell & Co. GMBH), is a distributor of fine and specialty chemicals offering products for both food industry and industrial applications, in particular, commercial manufacturers in the automotive, coatings, adhesives, food, and personal care industries. Gehring-Montgomery's 45,000 square feet of temperature-controlled, warehouse storage is specially equipped for fire containment and spill-damage avoidance. Food additives are handled and stored in separate rooms within the building. Pallet racking is available with numbered positioning for tracking of every stock item. The company repackages its own chemical products and also offers outsourced packaging services for others. Over 50 products are purchased in bulk and repackaged into a variety of steel or poly containers including portable tanks, 55-gallon drums, 15-gallon carboys or 5-gallon pails. Dry products are offered in super sacks or bags.

4. Tilley Chemical Co Inc., in operation since 1952, distributes chemicals, oils, and lubricants as well as a full range of fine and specialty chemicals, and solvents for customers in the food, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries. The company's oil and lubricant products such as motor oils, hydraulic oils, transmission fluids, rust preventers, and metalworking fluids are offered to the automotive and manufacturing industries. The company operates a large distribution facility as well as warehouse storage in other strategic geographic locations, where it provides packaging, transfer, and handling services. Tilley's Quality Assurance Program (QA) includes continuous improvement, product sampling, testing, and quality process certifications, including ISO-9000 and FDA quality requirements.

Specialty and Fine Chemicals
Definition: Specialty and Fine Chemicals are defined by type and by regulatory status for their manufacture. Specialty chemicals are primarily drug or agrochemicals (most times are patented as well) and made from “exclusive” products produced by one manufacturer to one customer. Fine chemicals are complex, single, pure chemical substances that are produced in limited quantities. Both fine and specialty chemicals are also defined by regulatory status; both are produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) regulations.