Nalco Holding Company
Encyclopedia
Nalco Holding Company (formerly Ondeo Nalco) supplies water treatment and process improvement services, chemicals and equipment programs for industrial and institutional markets. These products and services are marketed in some cases to prevent
corrosion
, contamination and the buildup of harmful deposits. In other applications they are used in production processes to enhance process efficiency and improve customers’ end products.
Nalco is a sales company that currently serves more than 70,000 customers employing over 11,500 employees operating in over 130 countries.
Among its products is Corexit
which is an oil dispersant
and is widely being used in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
.
as the National Aluminate Corporation formed from the merger of Chicago Chemical Company and the Aluminum Sales Corporation. In 1959 it changed its name to Nalco Chemical Company and was publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under that name from 1964 until a French company, Suez, purchased it in 1999. After a name change to Ondeo Nalco Company then another change in ownership in 2003, the Company went public again, returning to the New York Stock Exchange in late 2004 under the name Nalco Holding Company.
In 2007, Nalco achieved sales of more than US$3.9 billion.
In July 2011, Nalco announced a merger with Ecolab
, Inc. (NYSE: ECL; known as Economics Laboratory prior to 1986).
. In 1994, Nalco and Exxon Chemical Company announced the formation of Nalco/Exxon Energy Chemicals, L.P. to provide products and services to all facets of the petroleum and natural gas industries. Then in 2001, NALCO, which then was called "Ondeo Nalco," strengthened its leadership role in the petroleum industry when Nalco/Exxon Energy Chemicals, L.P. became part of the company through redemption of Exxon Mobil stock in the joint venture. Daniel S. Sanders, who was previously president of Exxon/Mobil Chemical Company, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil, serves on the company's board of directors.
documents Nalco Company Political Action Committee financial contributions to political candidates, with 2010 contributions to Judy Biggert
(R-IL), Charles Boustany
(R-LA), Dan Lipinski
(D-IL), John Shimkus
(R-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL).
The CRP also lists Nalco Holding Company's spending on lobbying, including $160,000 in 2010 to Ogilvy Government Relations to lobby on their behalf to the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, the Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency between April 1 and June 30 of 2010, on "issues related to the use of corexit 9500 in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill".
Corrosion inhibitor
A corrosion inhibitor is a chemical compound that, when added to a liquid or gas, decreases the corrosion rate of a material, typically a metal or an alloy. The effectiveness of a corrosion inhibitor depends on fluid composition, quantity of water, and flow regime...
corrosion
Corrosion
Corrosion is the disintegration of an engineered material into its constituent atoms due to chemical reactions with its surroundings. In the most common use of the word, this means electrochemical oxidation of metals in reaction with an oxidant such as oxygen...
, contamination and the buildup of harmful deposits. In other applications they are used in production processes to enhance process efficiency and improve customers’ end products.
Nalco is a sales company that currently serves more than 70,000 customers employing over 11,500 employees operating in over 130 countries.
Among its products is Corexit
Corexit
Corexit is a product line of solvents primarily used as a dispersant for breaking up oil slicks. It is produced by Nalco Holding Company which is associated with BP and Exxon. Corexit was the most-used dispersant in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, with COREXIT 9527 having...
which is an oil dispersant
Dispersant
A dispersant or a dispersing agent or a plasticizer or a superplasticizer is either a non-surface active polymer or a surface-active substance added to a suspension, usually a colloid, to improve the separation of particles and to prevent settling or clumping...
and is widely being used in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
.
History
The company was founded in 1928 in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as the National Aluminate Corporation formed from the merger of Chicago Chemical Company and the Aluminum Sales Corporation. In 1959 it changed its name to Nalco Chemical Company and was publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
under that name from 1964 until a French company, Suez, purchased it in 1999. After a name change to Ondeo Nalco Company then another change in ownership in 2003, the Company went public again, returning to the New York Stock Exchange in late 2004 under the name Nalco Holding Company.
In 2007, Nalco achieved sales of more than US$3.9 billion.
In July 2011, Nalco announced a merger with Ecolab
Ecolab
Ecolab, Inc. is a St. Paul, Minnesota based sanitation supply company founded in 1923.The company provides sanitation and pest control supplies, foodservice equipment repair and parts, food safety services and consulting to restaurants, hospitals, food and beverage plants, laundries, schools,...
, Inc. (NYSE: ECL; known as Economics Laboratory prior to 1986).
Exxon Mobil ties
Nalco has had ongoing ties to ExxonExxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
. In 1994, Nalco and Exxon Chemical Company announced the formation of Nalco/Exxon Energy Chemicals, L.P. to provide products and services to all facets of the petroleum and natural gas industries. Then in 2001, NALCO, which then was called "Ondeo Nalco," strengthened its leadership role in the petroleum industry when Nalco/Exxon Energy Chemicals, L.P. became part of the company through redemption of Exxon Mobil stock in the joint venture. Daniel S. Sanders, who was previously president of Exxon/Mobil Chemical Company, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil, serves on the company's board of directors.
Lobbying activity and financial contributions to political candidates
The Center for Responsive PoliticsCenter for Responsive Politics
The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
documents Nalco Company Political Action Committee financial contributions to political candidates, with 2010 contributions to Judy Biggert
Judy Biggert
Judith Borg "Judy" Biggert is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. She is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
(R-IL), Charles Boustany
Charles Boustany
Charles William Boustany, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and medical career:...
(R-LA), Dan Lipinski
Dan Lipinski
Daniel William Lipinski is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes much of the southwest side of Chicago, along with such suburbs as Oak Lawn and Brookfield....
(D-IL), John Shimkus
John Shimkus
John Mondy Shimkus is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party....
(R-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL).
The CRP also lists Nalco Holding Company's spending on lobbying, including $160,000 in 2010 to Ogilvy Government Relations to lobby on their behalf to the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, the Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency between April 1 and June 30 of 2010, on "issues related to the use of corexit 9500 in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill".